Christian Missionaries' Master Plan for Nepal   

Christian missionaries have congregated on the outskirts of the capital city, where they are discussing the pros and cons of a strategic plan which aims to multiply churches across the Himalayas. They plan to achieve this by exploiting the marginal conditions of religious communities in the face of the worsening conflict. More than three dozen senior Christian missionaries, fluent in Nepali and mainly from the Western countries, are partaking in what they assert is an International Non-Governmental Organization Business Meeting that began on January 4.

According to The Kathmandu Post which obtained a copy of the strategic plan, the missionaries assert in their vision statement that "We will work to establish churches in the Himalayan region, and sending churches and like-minded organizations in bi-vocational holistic ministry."
The missionaries' strategic plan encourages such institutional projects as hospitals, something the document says has been the historical methodology of TEAM Nepal, a partner of the Himalayan Partners.

"In keeping with TEAM's philosophy of Health Care Ministry, our health care initiatives are to facilitate the growth of the body of Christ by restoring physical, emotional and spiritual wholeness to individuals, families and community through preventative and curative medical services while demonstrating the love and compassion of Jesus Christ." The missionaries also plan to place personnel in national organizations or in government-sponsored positions, which is "another platform that can make an impact in church establishment." The missionaries "believe in ultimately establishing indigenous reproducing churches." The document continues with the belief "that missionaries are most effective when we teach and train nationals rather than doing the work ourselves."

NSCN (IM)'s Conversion Drive Draws Flak in North East India

Buddhists living along the Assam-Arunachal border accuse the NSCN (IM), A Christian Terrorist Group of forcing residents to convert to Christianity.There are about 20,000 Myanmarese tribes like the Singphos, Tangsas, Khamtis, Taiphakes and Taikhamians who practice Buddhism and reside along the Assam-Arunachal border in districts of Tinsukia, Tirap and Changlang. Areas where the Christian Naga insurgent groups NSCN (IM) and the NSCN (K) are very active.

Locals complain that abductions and extortion by some of its cadre are rampant. There are now allegations that party members are allegedly on a drive to convert locals to Christianity. Moulang Bhante, the chief priest of all the Myanmarese tribes in India practising Buddhism, says his people are in danger."These areas are dominated by the NSCN. They demand money, food and now they say all people here must become Christians," said Moulang Bhante.Wannasara Bhikku, another high priest, says safeguards will have to be taken to protect the practitioners.

"For the safety of our religion Buddhism, we have to take some safeguards. We have not taken any final step. So far, I know they are visiting some places in Assam. We came to know they visited Kamba next to Lekhapani camp. They are visiting again and again in Arunachal Pradesh. They force Buddhists to convert to Christianity," alleged Wannasara Bhikku.It's not Buddhists alone. The IM faction had burned down a Rangphra temple of indigenous faith in Arunachal Pradesh last month.

The governments of both Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are aware of this conversion drive, but no steps have been taken to curb the armed outfit's activities.The NSCN (IM) maintains its illegal camps controlling the extortion business along the Assam-Arunachal border. Besides the strategic importance of Tirap and Changlang districts, where they freely move around, parts of these areas are also included in Muivah's demand for Greater Nagaland. 

Thanking Sanjana Naorem ( India) for contribution of the above article

Christianity in Philippines: A Shaken Church

Two days after the sexual harassment complaint against Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani Jr. hogged newspaper headlines on June 8, around 200 priests of the Archdiocese of Manila were summoned to an emergency meeting at the Villa San Miguel of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin.

Some priests, considered too radical for a conservative institution like the Catholic Church, were not notified but they nevertheless showed up. One of the "gate-crashers" was Msgr. Nico Bautista, a member of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.Bautista described the atmosphere as "mournful." He said the gloom lifted somewhat after the assembly was informed that Bacani was elated over the show of support from every sector "and can’t wait to come back." 

Auxiliary Bishop Socrates Villegas, Sin’s right-hand man, presided over the meeting. The cardinal was not around.

No Solution

"I thought we were there to address the problem and find a solution," said Bautista. "We ended up doing something else."Henrietta de Villa, former ambassador to the Vatican and the first to speak up, updated the priests on Bacani, saying he stayed in her place a few days before leaving for Kansas, United States, on June 9. Msgr. Jesus Romulo Rañada and Fr. Catalino Arevalo of Ateneo also took the floor.

Tension in the villa rose again when Auxilliary Bishop Teodoro Buhain, district bishop and parish priest of the Basilica of the Black Nazarene, stood up and spoke. Crying "frame-up," he predicted that, after Bacani, he would be "next." 

Buhain referred to a rumor that he had begotten a child by "CS," a close female friend who was an employee of Radio Veritas, which Buhain headed. He said his friend had indeed given birth but that the child was conceived through artificial insemination and that he was not the father. He declared he was ready to undergo DNA testing to prove his innocence.The bishop’s revelation caught many by surprise, especially priests who had no inkling of the rumor. His openness was a far cry from how the Church handled the two recent scandals that rocked the institution, some of whose members are still in the dark up to now.

Dismissed as Rumors 

It took the Church almost two years to act on the rumors about an illicit affair that involved Bishop Crisostomo Yalung.Some parishioners in Makati were the first to allege that Yalung had a kept woman. They reported the matter to the Papal Nuncio, Sin, and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), but the hierarchy dismissed their allegation. 

For a time, only a select few knew about the case. Makati parishioners saw Yalung’s transfer to Antipolo as a ploy to take the heat off their parish priest. But this did not prevent them from pursuing their own investigation.The Church leadership made its move only when the rumors persisted even after Yalung’s transfer. Eventually, the Nuncio was convinced and forced Yalung to quit the diocese of Antipolo. A press statement gave no reason for Yalung’s resignation, although a Church official, in response to a reporter’s question, cited health reasons. The real reason, however, was kept from the public, including members of the clergy.

As in Yalung’s case, the Church ignored rumors of Bacani’s alleged liaisons with women, even after some parishioners, in unsigned letters, informed the CBCP and the Nuncio about it.A long-time Church lawyer told Newsbreak that such issues only went around the Church community and no effort was made to confront them. The higher-ups "should have at least looked into the rumors," the lawyer said.When finally confronted with the "truth," the Church hierarchy tends to protect one of its own. The Church, the lawyer said, often dissuades aggrieved people from filing a formal complaint.

Zeny Recidoro, program coordinator of the Department of Health’s Women’s and Children’s Protection Unit Program, had a first-hand experience in this regard. She recounted to Newsbreak how the CBCP discouraged her from filing a formal complaint against a priest on behalf of a victim and assured her that they would do something about their erring member.

Long-Delayed Guidelines

The Church’s response to formal complaints could probably be traced to the absence of protocol or pastoral guidelines on sexual offenses. Up to now, it has no clear-cut procedure for dealing with sex scandals.There are indications that the Church has been dragging its feet in coming out with the protocol.

Asked about the status of the protocol, Msgr. Jose Bernardo, in a previous interview with Newsbreak, said the guidelines were still being polished. He said consultations on the guidelines started last year, and these were to have been adopted in January this year. As things stand now, the protocol is expected to be adopted this July when the CBCP permanent council convenes. Msgr. Hernando Coronel disclosed that the protocol would tackle "moral cases and issues affecting the clergy," specifically issues involving pedophile-priests, priest-fathers, and homosexual priests.

He said the protocol would include sanctions on erring members of the clergy and possible assistance to victims. Newsbreak learned that the CBCP had commissioned a law firm to study the implications of sex abuse cases in the US.The CBCP’s apparent foot-dragging contrasts with the stance taken by the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ACBC) and the US National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) on sex scandals involving priests.

The ACBC came out with its protocol as early as 1996 and drew up a revised version in 2000. The NCCB, on the other hand, adopted its Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People shortly after the series of sex scandals hit the headlines in the United States.CBCP insiders said the bishops were taking their time in coming out with the protocol so as to avoid loopholes, adding that there were two divergent opinions on the sanctions to be imposed.

The US and the Australian guidelines impose strict penalties on offenders; first-time violators are permanently defrocked and stripped of their clerical status.Some CBCP members feel the sanctions contained in the US and Australian protocols are too punitive. Others are uneasy about the matter of confidentiality, which the two protocols lifted. Both protocols state that every case should be disclosed to the public, except when so desired otherwise by the offended party.

Damage Control

While Buhain may have unwittingly taken the lead in creating a more transparent Church—although opening himself to further scrutiny—there are no indications that the hierarchy is about to change its secretive demeanor.Learning that Bautista had allowed himself to be interviewed, Villegas quickly reminded him of the confidentiality of the proceedings at the villa. Two days later, Bautista received a letter from Sin ordering him to keep his opinions to himself.

The Church’s crisis management team worked overtime to downplay the sexual harassment reports, deliberately floating "theories" to muddle the issue.A Church insider told Newsbreak that newspaper stories on the succession angle—that Bacani was among those considered to replace Sin, who will retire in August—were leaked from within the Church. The source said neither Bacani nor Villegas was being considered to succeed Sin as archbishop of Manila.

Adding confusion to the issue were text messages that "a well-financed group with a lot of political clout and involved in coups and destabilization is suspect in all-out campaign to discredit Catholic Church—stumbling block to power."At the emergency meeting in the villa, an empty sheet of bond paper was circulated among the clergy for their signatures, to be attached to an expression for support for Bacani. The priests were told that the wording of the expression of support would follow, Bautista said.

Bautista deplored that there was no effort to find out the condition of the "victim." "Our obligation should be with the powerless," he said.Assessing his fellow priests’ reaction at the meeting, Bautista said that the Church hierarchy might lose yet another chance to redeem itself.

Perhaps, the local Church can take the cue from Australian bishops. In their protocol statement, they said: "Abuse of both children and adults by Church personnel has done great harm to individuals and to the whole Church. Despite this, it can become an opportunity to create a better Church, but only if the response given by the leaders and all the members of the Church is humble, honest, and thoroughly Christian." 

Thanking Arlene Joy Ligot ( The Philippines) for contribution of the above article

Rebuilding Buddhism in Mongolia - The Threat from Christian Evangelism

Buddhism was all but obliterated in Mongolia for sixty years, the worst persecutions being carried out during the late 1930's by the Stalinist dictator Khorloin Choibalsan, when tens of thousands of lamas, monks, and ordinary believers were executed or worked to death by forced labour. The vast majority of Mongolia's monasteries and temples were destroyed.

When communism collapsed in the early 1990's, freedom of belief was again allowed. However Buddhism had been seriously weakened and the spiritual vacuum was rapidly filled by various foreign interests, most notably US fundamentalist Bible-thumpers. These pushy evangelists deployed, and still continue to deploy, lavish funding together with high powered salesmanship to propagate their memes. 

The missionaries are, for the most part, blatant cultural imperialists and typically use deception and subterfuge to undermine traditional Mongolian culture. They accuse Buddhism of being responsible for backwardness, and attribute the West's technological and scientific pre-eminence to its Christian traditions. (whereas anyone familiar with European history will be aware that it was only when the Church lost its iron grip on freedom of expression that scientific progress became possible - see obscurantism). Although Christian evangelists are willing to jump on board the western scientific bandwagon when preaching in Buddhist countries, they soon reveal their antiscientific mindset when back on their Bible-belt home ground - see evolution.

Many meme-pedlars also set themselves up as teachers of English, and use their propagandist tracts as educational materials.

The situation has recently become more hopeful with the election of Nambariin Enkhbayar as Prime Minister in July 2000. According the the Buddhist magazine Tricycle (Winter 2000 edition, page 17) Mr Enkhbayar is a devout Buddhist. While pledging to continue to uphold religious tolerance and democracy, he is also very keen to support and strengthen his country's traditional cultures.

Mr Enkhbayar is a former Marxist, who first became interested in Buddhism when subjected to anti-Buddhist indoctrination by his Soviet Communist 'educators'. He converted to Buddhism and created a cross-party Buddhist forum within the Mongolian parliament. He has also represented the Buddhist faith at the World Faiths and Development Dialogues in London.

Rebuilding Buddhism in Russia - The Threat from Christian Evangelists and Cultural Imperialists

It is not generally known in the West, but the pre-revolutionary Russian Empire had a substantial number of Buddhists who practiced in the Tibetan tradition. In 1741, Empress Elizabeth issued a decree recognizing Buddhism, alongside Orthodox Christianity, as an officially sanctioned religion in Russia.. 

For 180 years Russian Buddhists were allowed religious freedom by the Tsarist government. They established temples and monasteries, chiefly in Central Asia and in Siberia in the Lake Baikal area. But this policy of tolerance changed drastically after the communist revolution.

In Marxist countries most religions were suppressed to a greater or lesser extent, but in Russia Buddhism was a particular object of persecution. The reason for this is clear, for unlike the other belief-systems that Marxism encountered in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Buddhism was the only one which offered a rational, logically coherent philosophy which presented a real ideological threat to the Marxist materialist worldview. (See Marxism). In fact, the future Buddhist Prime Minister of Mongolia - Nambariin Enkhbayar - first became interested in Buddhism when, as a student, he was subjected to anti-Buddhist indoctrination by his Soviet Communist 'educators'.

In the 1920's, as Joseph Stalin consolidated his power, most of the temples and monasteries were destroyed, and many Soviet Buddhists were executed or worked to death in the notorious Gulags. Pockets survived in the remote regions of Buryatia, Kalmyck Republic and Tuva. With the restoration of religious freedom, Buddhism is now being re-established in these areas, though as in Mongolia the process is under threat from lavishly-funded American Christian evangelists who are targeting Kalycks, Buriats and Tuvinians as 'unreached peoples'. Hopefully this blatant cultural imperialism and meme-peddling will not succeed in destroying these vulnerable indigenous cultures.

In addition, new Buddhist centres are being established outside the traditionally Buddhist areas in cities such as Moscow, St Petersburg, Obninsk, Nizhni-Novgorod, Petrozavodsk and Varonesh.

'Dalit Christians' in Southern India plan conversion to Islam

Protesting against the 'upper caste Udayar Christians' to deny them access to the irrigation tank, 'Dalit Christians' in S Kavanur village in backward southern district of Ramanathapuram have decided to embrace Islam in the company of 'Hindu Dalits'.They have chosen Republic Day falling on January 26 for the conversion, but expect the district administration to interfere on their behalf and set right the anomaly. 

S Kavanur accounts for over three-fourths of the arable lands, but the Dalit residents, many of them Christian converts with a local church of their own, have to count on the irrigation water let off by the Mela Kavanur (upper Kavanur) residents.Many of the residents of Mela Kavanur are Christian converts, but the fact they were higher in the caste hierarchy in comparison to S Kavanur residents, seems to have prompted them to deny access to irrigation water, notwithstanding that Christianity doesn't have a caste system. 

As a S Kavanur resident pointed out, "It is more as a mark of protest, that we have decided to embrace Islam, and not because of any religious conviction." Incidentally, this is the first time since the much-publicised Meenakshipuram conversions of 1982 in southern Tirunelveli district that 'Dalit Christians'are planning to embrace Islam. 

Uganda: Reward Offered for the Capture of God

The Lord’s Resistance Army is ruled by a man called Joseph Kony, a modern-day Pol Pot, who kidnaps children and forces them to fight the Ugandan government forces and takes nuns from convents and turns them into sex slaves. The Ugandan Army is now being offered a 16,000 Euro bounty for the capture of this man who is worshipped as a God by his followers. 

Kony and his murderous band of criminals operates from southern Sudan, striking deep into Uganda. His activities have caused the internal displacement of one and a half million persons. Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army has a peculiar set of rules. Based on the Ten Commandments, one of which is Thou shalt not kill, he then forces new members to murder family members to prove their loyalty and commitment to him. Kony basks in the adoration of his followers, claiming to have visitations from the Holy Ghost. 

The Ugandan government has signed a treaty with the Sudanese government which will allow the Ugandan army to cross the border to try to flush Kony out of his hideout before he can murder many more innocent victims. In the past two months, 4,000 people have disappeared during raids by his followers, who wear crucifixes and other religious insignia, which Kony tells them will protect them from bullets. 

Kony has perpetrated horrific acts of torture, beating people to death with rifle butts, cutting people to pieces with machetes and boiling people alive before forcing the close relatives to eat the bodies. He intends to overthrow the Ugandan government and install his regime in Kampala, setting up a theocracy based on the Ten Commandments. 

Christianity Spreads Poison of Hate in Indian Society

Ghelubhai Nayak is 75 years old and a Master of Social Welfare from the renowned Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai. Along with his late older brother, Chottubhai, he was persuaded in 1948 by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to commence tribal welfare activities in Gujarat's Dangs district. He has been there ever since, and now runs the Dang Swaraj Ashram.

On January 7, Ghelubhai Nayak sent a fax in English to the Special Bench of the National Minorities Commission stationed in Ahmedabad that day. And although this is a by-line column, this writer has no qualms of conscience in reproducing most of that faxed memorandum; this is being done for no other reason than that what Ghelubhai has to say is (i) the voice of a Gandhian (ii) the expression of an apolitical person who has been an integral part of Dangs district for half a century and (iii) something which has not yet found to be worth recording by the "secular" press or to be commented upon by any investigative journalist.

Below then is what Ghelubhai put down in black and white on January 7 in his address to the National Minorities Commission:

'Sirs, myself and many of my Gandhian colleagues condemn the violence being perpetrated in south Gujarat, particularly the attacks on churches, in the name of religion. However, we are anguished to bring to your notice the ground realities behind the recent violent incidents in Dangs which haven't come to the fore or have been deliberately ignored by large sections of the media, which in turn has led to a one-sided reporting and press statements thus vitiating the atmosphere further.

The fact is that there is no dearth of evidence to prove that the violence is a reaction of the organised conversion activities of the Christian missionaries in the area with means that are clearly questionable and even illegal. The single point programme of the missionaries is to convert the tribals and in doing so they are often using means that go far beyond the realm of social service and can even be called illegal. They have been using a curious mix of blind faith and allurements to entice the innocent tribals into the Christian fold. There have been quite a few incidents which support the charge but this is not the time to go deeply into it. The population of converted tribals which was just around 500 when we came to Dangs in 1948 today reportedly stands around 35,000 to 40,000 which is over 30 per cent of the total tribal population of around 1.35 lakh in Dangs.

The following facts are for your perusal in order to convince you and the entire country that the recent religious violence which began in Dangs on the Christmas day is clearly a reaction to the slow poisoning of the tribals by the Christian Missionaries after converting them and then inculcating a spirit in them which clearly goes against true secularism.

The ire against the Christians in the area has been rising for the past few years and has reached a boil now because of the provocative activities of the Christians under the influence of their preachers. There have been at least 15 instances in the past three years in Dangs wherein the Christians, under the influence of their preachers, have desecrated the idols of Lord Hanuman, who is worshipped in this area by large section of tribals for ages. In one incident in Gaadhvi village three years ago, they urinated on an idol of Hanuman and later in Jharsod village they crushed Hanuman's idol to pieces and threw it away in the river.

Then there have been several instances where tension has gripped a village on account of the Christians publicly calling Hindu and Buddhist Cultures as Evil, again under the influence of their preachers. Besides, one of the causes of the increasing tension is the refusal of the Christian tribals to contribute to the traditional tribal festivals under the influence of the preachers who poison them with anti-idolatry sermons. This can be quickly verified by holding an independent inquiry.

Social conflicts in tribal families have greatly increased on account of the terror tactics of the converted tribal at the behest of the preachers. In many cases a tribal who accepts Christian faith starts pressurising his brother into accepting the faith and this often results in bloody fights over the issue. In one case recently when a person, who had not converted, went to live with his converted son and died in his house, he was buried by his Christian son in the graveyard without even telling his other brothers (who were all non-Christians).

In another case in October last I had warned the district collector about some Christian attempt to disturb peace when they twice beat no less than the nephew of former Bhil Raja of Kinga (in Dangs) when he refused to marry his son to the daughter of a Christian who was forcing him to enter into the matrimonial alliance. The Christians of Linga have also been opposing the construction of a Hanuman temple on a piece of land which is owned by the Raja of Linga, Bhavar Singh, and on which they have no right.

The press release issued by the Chairman of the Minorities Commission appearing in the newspapers say that "the Commission owes a special responsibility to the holy land of the Father of the Nation." Let me remind the honourable Chairman that the Father of the Nation had also denounced the conversion activity by Christian missionaries as a blot on humanity in the name of social service. Even Vinobha Bhave… denounced conversion activity and called for a legal ban on any kind of conversion. This can be clearly gleaned from the writings of these two great sons of India.

I have been a close witness to the entire episode on Dangs and I stand by whatever I have mentioned in this communication, which I hope the honourable bench will place on record. I also hope that this will prove useful to you in arriving at the right conclusions. I am sending this communication through fax, as I am unable to reach Ahmedabad on such a short notice. In case you need any clarification kindly call me up on phone.'

Now what, pray, has come out of that vital fax of January 7? Like the "secular" press, the Minority Commission did not even acknowledge it, leave alone discussing or arguing its contents with the sender. Instead, the Commission submitted its interim report on the Dangs and other previous episodes on January 12, recommending that the Centre take "immediate appropriate action under Articles 256 and 355 of the Constitution" against the Gujarat government for failing to check violence against minorities. The home ministry is "studying" that report.

Meanwhile, the Dang Swaraj Ashram in Ahwa has, on the night of Sankrant (January 14), confirmed by phone to me in Mumbai that only one jeep had been burnt on X-mas day and that it belonged to a retired Hindu teacher, Wagle by name.. And on the morning of January 15, Mrs Ghelubhai Nayak (a post-graduate who was a civil servant until superannuating) told me on the phone that, with a retired ex-officer of the Gujarat government now given special charge of Dangs district, the joyous day of Sankrant had witnessed the traditional sweetmeats being exchanged by members of both the communities in Dangs in a spirit of forget and forgive; they also resolved on the auspicious day, she said, to ensure that the ugly episodes of the past are not repeated in the future.

Uzbek Conviction Of Jehovah’s Witness May Set Precedent For Crackdown On Christian Proselytizers

An Uzbek court has handed a Jehovah’s Witness a three-year suspended sentence for “inciting religious hatred.” Freedom of conscience advocates are concerned that the conviction heralds an expansion of the Uzbek government’s crackdown on religious expression.

Marat Mudarisov, 26, was convicted on November 29 of violating article 156.1 of Uzbekistan’s criminal code for supposedly distributing printed matter that the state deemed insulting to the national feelings and religious convictions of Uzbekistani citizens. Mudarisov’s supporters countered that the state’s case was politically motivated, and aimed to establish a precedent that would help authorities limit the activities of Christian proselytizers in Uzbekistan.

“We expect more prosecution to come for the distribution of Jehovah’s Witnesses literature. The court in this case decided that everything said by the prosecution was true and ignored the evidence of the defense,” said John Burns, a Canadian Attorney and member of the St. Petersburg International Board of Lawyers who is advising Mudarisov's lawyers.

Burns added that in the aftermath of Mudarisov’s conviction, he expected two similar cases to proceed. Those two cases, in the Uzbek cities of Bukhara and Navoii, involve criminal charges brought against Jehovah’s Witnesses for “proselytizing” and “missionary activity,” in violation of article 216.2 of the criminal code. Currently there are over 3,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in Uzbekistan, and it is among the fastest growing of the many Christian groups now active in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan, a predominantly Muslim country, has for years sought to suppress all forms of Islamic religious expression not expressly sanctioned by government officials. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archives]. Human rights advocates estimate that up 7,000 people have been imprisoned on charges of fomenting radical Islamic beliefs and seeking to overthrow the current Uzbek government. Many of those in custody have been accused of belonging to banned radical groups, including Hizb-ut-Tahrir.

According to Human Rights Watch's Matilda Bogner, the Mudarisov case is perhaps the first in Uzbekistan in which a Christian has been prosecuted on the basis of religious beliefs. “Clearly a man has been prosecuted for his religious beliefs and that has been a part of the actual criminal case against him," Bogner said.

An expert study presented by state prosecutors provided a clue as to why the government appears to be targeting Jehovah’s Witnesses. According to court files the study said the religious beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses may serve to undermine national security by encouraging “citizens against participation in politics and against serving in State offices.” The study also accuses Jehovah’s Witnesses of not respecting “state symbols – hymn, flag, arms, because it is [considered] idolatry – [and] agitating youth to deviate from military service.”

Since the outbreak of a radical Islamic insurgency in 1999, President Islam Karimov’s administration has sought to maintain a tight grip over Uzbekistan’s political, economic and social life. [For additional information see the Eurasia Insight archive]. That trend has solidified over the past year, which has seen a dramatic expansion of US-Uzbek military cooperation. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archives]. Bogner suggested that Uzbek officials view the rapid growth of Jehovah’s Witnesses as a potential threat to the authoritarian system now in place. 

“I think the government is also concerned about Christian groups getting, though what would never be a huge following, a large following,” Bogner said. “If they became organized and if they became some sort of a force, even though that would be a religious force, that's something that government could see as a threat to its own power.” Cultural suspicion may also have been a factor in Mudarisov’s prosecution, Bogner added. Many Uzbek Muslims are wary of Christian proselytizers in what is traditionally an Islamic country.

Mudarisov was first detained and questioned by state security agents in July. He was held at Tashkent’s city prison throughout the investigative process. During his trial, which began October 16, authorities said they found in Mudarisov’s possession Uzbek-language pamphlets that touted the superiority of the teachings of the Bible over those of the Koran. The official expert study characterized the pamphlet as “anti-constitutional propaganda of pseudo-religious ideas … and inciting hatred among representatives of other religions.”

Defense lawyers argued that the pamphlet was planted on Mudarisov, citing the fact that he is an ethnic Tatar who does not speak Uzbek. Mudarisov’s defenders added that the trial at the Akmal Ikramovsky district court in Tashkent featured numerous procedural violations. They asserted that his detention from July until November 22, when he was unexpectedly released during the last phase of the trial, constituted a violation of Mudarisov’s rights.

America’s Christian Imperialism in Asia

Hello All Asian Brothers and Sisters, I would like to share my personal impressions and ideas about USA and how it uses Christian Church as its weapons of Imperialism on Asia. Recently I had a conversation with a colleague from the Ukraine who refuses to understand or adopt Orthodoxy, but at the same time attends a subsidiary of the American Full Gospel Church (Is there a Gospel which isn’t full?) in the Ukrainian city of Zaporozhje, home of the Charismatic Church. So, every man follows his own way of experiencing spiritual life, some experience the phenomena earlier and some later.

I would like to say for my own part that since the time of perestroika, I have studied many things. I took interest in neo-Protestant manifestations, in theosophy (the Rerichs’ teaching for example), in pseudo-Christian studies, Baptist, Jehovah Witnesses, even esoteric and so on. However, each of these interests passed in due time. For instance, I lost my interest in Christianity when I studied Deeply The History of Christian Church in Asia and Africa as how earlier through Conquest and Militarism the Christian Church assisted The Europeans in conquering many Asian Lands.

As I grew up I also read the Activities of The Christian Church across Asia and as to how so many souls fall at the feet of the Church I got information from different sources, which helped me in making my own view on the subject. It is the struggle for subjection of human minds and souls. For instance, a grand-scale system of propaganda was set up in the U.S. to brainwash and control the population, through a network of thousands of so-called churches solely to be used as a weapon against all those who differed from American views.

Here is the list of churches in USA which have centers across Asia:

Churches (114)
Churches-African Methodist Episcopal (3)
Churches-Anglican (1)
Churches-Apostolic (7)
Churches-Apostolic Faith (2)
Churches-Assemblies Of God (12)
Churches-Baptist (50)
Churches-Baptist-American (6)
Churches-Baptist-Conservative Baptist Association (1)
Churches-Baptist-General (1)
Churches-Baptist-General Association Of Regular Baptist (1)
Churches-Baptist-Independent (8)
Churches-Baptist-Missionary (1)
Churches-Baptist-National Convention-USA (2)
Churches-Baptist-North American (1)
Churches-Baptist-Southern (5)
Churches-Bible (5)
Churches-Brethren (1)
Churches-Catholic (25)
Churches-Charismatic (1)
Churches-Christian (2)
Churches-Christian Methodist Episcopal (1)
Churches-Christian Science (2)
Churches-Christian-Disciples Of Christ (1)
Churches-Christian-Reformed (2)
Churches-Church Of Christ (6)
Churches-Church Of Christ-Christian (6)
Churches-Church Of God (5)
Churches-Church Of God In Christ (10)
Churches-Church Of God-Anderson (3)
Churches-Church Of God-Cleveland (2)
Churches-Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints (9)
Churches-Church Of The Brethren (1)
Churches-Church Of The Nazarene (18)
Churches-Community Of Christ (3)
Churches-Congregational (7)
Churches-Eastern Catholic (2)
Churches-Eckankar (1)
Churches-Episcopal (8)
Churches-Evangelical (2)
Churches-Evangelical Covenant (1)
Churches-Evangelical Free (1)
Churches-Free Methodist (6)
Churches-Friends-Quaker (1)
Churches-Full Gospel (7)
Churches-Full Gospel Non-Denominational (2)
Churches-Independent Fundamental (1)
Churches-Interdenominational (4)
Churches-Jehovah's Witnesses (10)
Churches-Lutheran (2)
Churches-Lutheran-Evangelical Lutheran Church In America (11)
Churches-Lutheran-Missouri Synod (11)
Churches-Lutheran-Wisconsin Synod (7)
Churches-Mennonite (2)
Churches-Methodist (7)
Churches-Missionary (1)
Churches-Non-Denominational (32)
Churches-Orthodox (3)
Churches-Pentecostal (9)
Churches-Pentecostal Church Of God (3)
Churches-Pentecostal-United (1)
Churches-Presbyterian-Orthodox (1)
Churches-Presbyterian-USA (10)
Churches-Prophetic (1)
Churches-Reformed Church In America (2)
Churches-Sabbath Observing (1)
Churches-Seventh-day Adventist (6)
Churches-Spiritualist (1)
Churches-Unitarian Universalistic (1)
Churches-United Brethren In Christ (4)
Churches-United Church Of Christ (9)
Churches-United Methodist (43)
Churches-Unity (2)
Churches-Various Denominations (1)
Churches-Vineyard (1)
Churches-Wesley (6)
Churches-Word Of Faith (1)
Convents & Monasteries (2)
Churches-Baptist-General Conference (1)

Isn’t this too much? Figures in brackets mean the number of chapels in each of the denominations. If the brackets are opened, you will be amazed at the variety of churches; you never know to what denomination each church may belong. Churches mentioned in the first line (114) are not included in the following categories. So, there are 568 churches or institutions of this kind in a city with a population of 127,000.

The list of churches isn’t a complete one, as there are many hidden churches in countries like China, North Korea and Islamic States of Asia. Surprisingly many in Asia submit to the hogwash of The Christian Church thinking it to be a movement of a true God Jesus (who was sleeping when his followers The Christian Europeans and Americans were bombing Vietnam and Korea and also killing each other of their kind in Two World Wars) and it’s not clear which church is to be attended. Why is the number of churches in the city so great? The same can be observed in any other city or state. There are lots of round-the-clock TV channels broadcasting programs of an allegedly religious, or Christian nature.

What are the programs about? They demonstrate gatherings of people, which look very much like brainwashing hypnotist performances or pop-concerts. What can they teach the people? What do they want to say to the people living thousands kilometers from the US borders. It is said: "Beware of pseudo-prophets in sheep’s clothing who visit you, as they are predatory wolves under the clothing." Such programs also display gimmicks of Healing in this case A Pastor touches the head of a Blind or handicapped Person murmurs some mumbo-jumbo from the Bible and Voila!!!! The next moment the Handicap not only sees clearly but he can also sing and dance!!!!!!! Ridiculous indeed……..I had a chance to see such a show when I was in Cambodia……it was pathetic……any sane educated individual can come to know that there’s some drama of fake demonstrations going on around here.

The Christians over the years predict the so-called Second Coming of Jesus here it is interesting to note that according to Christian Churches Jesus would come again to this earth and cast all Non-Christians to Hell of Burning Fire while take all Christians with him to Heaven to enjoy the kingdom of God this he was supposed to do in 2000AD now almost as 2 Years pass the "Born Again Christians" are now desperately questioning their pastors on the "Second Coming Theory" Reports of such desperation are coming from Korea where a sizeable number of People renounced Buddhism and embraced Christianity for the above circumstances.

Many of those who renounced their respective religions for Christianity are now feeling the disgust in their lives as they feel cheated by these American Propagandists who made them believe in a so-called God who does not come despite all prayers. Oh how could he after seeing all this sin being done under his holy name.

In many Asian countries where the societies are Tolerant like in India the Christian Church take the religious sentiments of the local population for granted and take freehand liberty of openly abusing The other indigenous religions of the land like Hinduism and Buddhism which for centuries have been tolerant towards Christian Imperialism. In countries like Vietnam and Cambodia where most of the population is deprived of basic needs many are promised jobs and better opportunities for the price of abusing the religion of their ancestors. In countries like China Christian activities are carried underground where the masses are instigated against the socialist government of China creating social tensions which may in future slowly and steadily disintegrate the powerful Chinese Nation.

The recent disintegration of East Timor from Indonesia has angered many Indonesians who strongly believe that the Christian Church funded by USA was responsible for this drama of disintegration of Indonesia which has largely been an apathetic state for the American Imperialists this is true as in many Asian countries the freedom movements are supported by USA as it benefits from the disintegration of Asia rather than seeing A Greater Asia which can turn America to dust.

Another problem-- where is the financing for the churches coming from, and for what purpose? You already know perfectly well what is going on toward the American Catholic as well as Protestant Churches Who have lost many innumerable followers to philosophies like Buddhism, Daoism and Hinduism. Against this background, I realize one thing-- the churches with a history that makes up over 1,000 years, I mean the Orthodox and Catholic ones, are not only unpopular in the U.S., but are even victimized there.

What is more, nobody among those who rule America actually are least interested in Christian Religion or its teachings religion; the American society is prejudiced with Hatred in all forms of Racial and Religious permeated with anti-religious and immoral principles and the great number of churches were opened in the U.S. only with the purpose of befogging people’s minds. I would venture to say the main objective of U.S. policy is to gain the universal domination, thrust its American pseudo-culture and its standards, including even religious ones upon the rest of the world. It also aims to break people’s morals and national dignity.

The people carrying on this policy use the creed of ancient conquerors: Divide and Empera! Christian imperialists used this technique when they plundered Asian Lands like China and India. Americans also strongly believe that in order to capture another nation one shouldn’t destroy it physically, it is quite enough to beat it in an ideological struggle.

Although, American uranium-filled bombs are good enough to drop on Orthodox Serbs or Serbian churches with the Soviet Union and Yugoslavian Federation falling victim to this policy. Benny Hinn wasn’t mistaken when he called his mission a crusade. Indeed, a real ideological intervention has been launched. As we know, much is seen from far away, especially when looking at Russia or the Ukraine from the American point of view.Why did all these millionaire missionaries come? Do they want to turn Asians into Ivans who don’t feel their kinship and blindly worship the golden calf. Introduction of the neo-Gospel teaching in Asia is in fact Americanization of the Asian lands. And the conquest of Asia without the use of Bombs and Bullets.

Christian Conversions worry Bhutan

The Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan for ages has been a Tolerant Hindu-Buddhist land until in 20th Century The Christians stepped into this land with their imperial Bible army to preach their gospel of freedom to the lands they think as Pagan and Backward. The Christians in Bhutan like in other Asian countries present a sorry picture of Bhutan as a under developed nation bound in superstition and hence are carrying on their work of conversions in the name of Salvation and Social Services.

Bhutan’s National Assembly has expressed concern at "increasing attempts" at proselytism by Christians and said the development could create resentment within the close-knit society of the Buddhist kingdom.The Assembly discussed proselytism by Christians during its ongoing session, and several representatives said that "unchecked conversion could undermine Bhutan’s identity and even its security," the state-owned Kuensel newspaper said in its latest issue.

Participating in the discussion, home minister Thinley Gyamtsho said the country’s existing laws did not bar the practice of Christianity within one’s home but proselytism among the local population, who were either Buddhists or Hindus, was prohibited because it involved "condemning and criticizing of the Buddhist and Hindu religions."

At the conclusion of the discussion, the National Assembly resolved to strictly enforce the existing law on religious conversions. Speaker Kinzang Dorji noted the concern expressed by members that conversions could have an undesirable impact on Bhutan’s small society and "alienate Bhutanese values" and undermine existing establishments founded on Buddhism.

Drukpa Kagyupa, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism, is the kingdom’s official religion and more than 75 per cent of the population of 600,000 is Buddhist. The chief abbot, who is chosen from among the most learned lamas or Buddhist monks, enjoys an equal rank with the king. A majority of the remaining 25 per cent are Hindus, and the country has a minuscule Christian population.

Home minister Gyamtsho said, "Bhutan cannot afford too many divisive factors which would divide and even lead to conflict within families, communities, and eventually at the national level." Having been informed of the growing attempts at proselytism, the Council of Ministers had twice discussed the findings of the Center for Bhutan Studies, which conducted research on the causes and effects of proselytism in Bhutan. He said that Bhutan’s achievements in promoting its rich religious and cultural heritage over the past 40 years had been a major deterrent to proselytism.

Most of the concerns expressed by members of the National Assembly centered around fears that Christianity could weaken the strong social bonds that hold together the closely-knit Bhutanese society. They claimed converts to Christianity had forgotten their basic moral values in life and "had undermined village cooperation and even brought discord within families."

Fortunately Christianity in Bhutan is being viewed as a threat to Bhutan's Socio-Cultural Lifestyle and future action will soon be taken against those who spread imperialism in the name of Religion

Buddhists protest Christian conversions in Lanka

Buddhists in Sri Lanka are up in arms over foreign and local Christian evangelical organizations converting villagers in remote areas using "unethical, coercive and sometimes barbaric methods."

The Centre for Buddhism International (CBI) in Kandy, the central province hill town where the Temple of the Buddha's Tooth is the focal point, has accused Christian missionaries of invading rural villages and tea and rubber plantations to proselytize their faith.

"Such missionary activity has upset the quiet and peaceful life of the rural community by the unethical, coercive and sometimes barbaric methods of conversion adopted by these evangelical groups thus creating a conflict situation which often leads to a breach of peace," the organization said in a statement.The statement said the work of at least 73 foreign and local evangelical groups, with names like Campus Crusade for Christ and Christian Literary Crusade, had been studied by the South Asian think tank, the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies.

Calling on the government to act according to the country's Constitution and protect the Buddhist faith, the CBI charged that other Christian organizations tried to justify the work of the evangelists and decry opposition from Buddhists as "the work of extremists. Last month, the small town of Hingurakgoda in the north central province was shocked by a Sunday morning attack by club-wielding mobs on a Christian prayer hall as services were being held. At least 38 people were seriously injured and the hall badly damaged.

Three people were arrested and President Chandrika Kumaratunga had to call for a special inquiry into the incident to forestall any fanning of inter-religious rancor. Local residents said they were angry about the conversions being carried out by the evangelists who are largely without support from the larger mainstream Christian sects. With 70 percent of the country's population being Buddhist, the other major religions of Hinduism, Islam, Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism have always steered away from controversy and co-existed peacefully.

The evangelists are from among newly sprung up groups with foreign links who blend religion with relief work, doling out jobs and material aid to converts, say their detractors.

Conversions: The Art of Survival for the Church in India

"There is now a scramble for India by various international Christian organizations, rather on the lines of the phase in our history three centuries ago when the French, the Dutch, the British and others tried to take us over," says N S Rajaram.

Rajaram is the former principal scientist of Lockheed, USA, and grandson of the famous statesman Navaratna Rama Rao.Conversion is not possible in China or anywhere else other than India, and without this conversion, the Church will simply collapse worldwide." The man who worked for many years in the areas of artificial intelligence and robotics in the US switched interests nearly six years ago, and is now a well-known science historian with many published books.

In his book The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Crisis of Christianity, published first in the United Kingdom and later in India, Rajaram puts forward his argument that Christianity worldwide faces the threat of extinction, and is trying hard to spread its tentacles in countries like India to ensure its survival.He discussed with M D Riti at his home in Basavanagudi in Bangalore the ongoing Christian controversy raging in our country today.

Excerpts:

Do you think the Hindu-Christian equation in India is under threat now?

Not at all, because the conflict and clashes in India today are not between Hindus and Christians. It is the activities of the missionaries that the Hindus are objecting to, especially their drive for conversions.

What is objectionable about the activities of missionaries like Graham Stewart Staines?

Has anyone investigated his past or found out whatexactly he was up to? Of what relevance is his past, good or bad, to his work here or to the circumstances under which he was killed? Why had nobody heard about Staines and his work before his death? If he was doing such wonderful social service, why did nobody talk or write about it until now? Then again, why was a foreign national carrying around a small handgun?

Complaints had been lodged against Staines right from 1981 at the deputy commissioner's office. But the law enforcement agencies, because of the enormous political pressure, do not have the courage to take action against such people. Staines was carrying a handgun. He fired several shots into the crowd and he was shot with an arrow. After that, the place might have been burnt. This is the report we have from three different sources. The media simply reported that his wife said he never owned a gun. That is not the way to practice journalism. Why did nobody go and check police records and ascertain the truth?

Media disinformation has reached an all-time high now. They speak about the number of schools that Christian missionaries have set up now. Why doesn't anyone write about the 15,000 schools set up by Vidya Bharathi in north India? If they ever mention this, they add an insinuation that this was done to spread the ideology of Hindutva. This is a clear double standard. You have heard more about Staines now than about people like Neelakanta Rao, who were internationally known for their work in leprosy. The media praises Mother Teresa to the skies, but the work done by Satya Sai Baba is considered obscurantist.

There is a bias in the English language media in favour of the Christian missionaries, especially when they are foreigners... I can tell you, having lived in the US for many years, that if I had tried to go into churches and disrupt their services or desecrate their chapels, they would not have looked upon me kindly.

But there are so many foreign missionary couples who have dedicated their lives to providing medical and educational aid to Indians in remote rural and forest areas. The least one can do is support their endeavour at least in spirit?

A few might certainly be dedicated and good. But this mass production is highly questionable. And the very idea that you need these foreigners to uplift your people is a sad commentary on the people themselves.

But don't you agree that this reconversion of tribals drama being enacted now is a real farce?

No, because they are just being helped to return to their original way of life.

How does reconverting them do that?

Because all that they have acquired is a thin veneer of change. Anyway, Christianity is finished in India, because it takes such enormous resources to just hold on to the people they have. There is hardly any Christianity left in urban India. The strongest criticism of Christianity in India comes from the Christians themselves. Everyone should be guaranteed the freedom to practise their own religion. However, people should not be allowed to barge into your home, as happens in the west coast, and demolish your puja room, saying that Jesus will save you: this should definitely not be tolerated.

I don't think anyone does that kind of thing now! It happens all the time -- today, right now. The newspapers are just not reporting it.

How do Christians worldwide benefit from Indian conversions?

They don't give a damn about it.

Then why is there a scramble for India?

A small elite benefits from this entire process. So many people gain employment. Having a large Christian base in India would not require the employment of a large network overseas. Even geographically, we are so small: we would not need a huge Vatican empire to govern us.

There is no huge empire in Europe: its collapsing. The conflict in India that we see today is a result of the problems faced by Christian Church worldwide, especially in the West. The Catholic Church is struggling for survival in the world. 

They have a huge number of institutions that require staff. There are also a huge number of theological institutions that require students for support. There is also the question of employment. And they are not getting people in sufficient numbers. For example, there are almost no nuns coming out of Western countries. So Kerala has become a fertile ground for this.

The pressure on India is to recruit as many as possible, which in turn means conversion. It is largely due to problems in the operations of churches in the West. Most of the theological seminaries in the West would be closed were it not for students from countries like India and Philippines. Even chaplains in the US are mostly Indian. A very important church in Geneva, the Cantor is from Bangalore. 

Even in Scotland, I found a priest from Tamil Nadu. I still cannot understand how a large Christian base in India would help the Church financially outside the country.

A small privileged class would benefit from it overseas. The other benefits of colonialism would follow. Suppose they offer marketing surveys to MNCs. Would that not translate to big money? Or if they offered their network as a marketing base in urban and even more in rural and tribal areas? That sounds rather far-fetched.

Not at all. Gandhiji reminded us long back about the real intentions of colonialists when he said : 'One cry in this country, America, has long been markets, wider markets. If the farmers and the manufacturers desire to create a market, they will do well to get in touch with foreign missions. They can be assured that it will not be long before they receive their money back with liberal interest.' In other words, you are soliciting donations in return for providing marketing assistance. And believe me, the situation remains exactly the same today.

Do you wonder why the Indian people are putting up with all this? 

Because we have an educated elite in India today which is not at all concerned about the nation. And they in turn come from a set of colonial educational institutions which are not at all nationalistic in their outlook. The highest aspiration of their products is to serve someone from the West! These people have already sold the country.

'Christian institutions in India are not producing national leaders'

Are you trying to say that Christian educational institutions are brainwashing their students into serving foreign masters?

I am saying that elite Christian institutions in India are not producing national leaders. They are only producing people who can serve others. Doon School and St Stephens, for example, were definitely not set up to produce national leaders. Have you seen one elected national leader from these kind of places? Would a Doon School product be able to stand for election from Kanakapura, for example? The best schools in India are really colonial institutions, set up to produce servants for colonial rulers, and they have not changed in outlook at all. I am not, of course, talking about engineering or medical colleges, but purely about schools and colleges that teach the humanities. What is St Stephens other than a copy of King's College, Cambridge as it was, maybe 100 years ago: not as Cambridge College is today. We just have a series of copies of mission schools.

We don't even have an Indian school of thought in the humanities. Why do we still teach Jung and Freud in our psychology departments? I'm not saying reject them outright, but why not the Patanjali Yogasutra or the Upanishads also? In linguistics, do they teach Panini?

In a nutshell, your basic premise is that the Catholic Church is dying in the West, especially in Europe, and that its future lies in countries like India.

The survival of the Catholic Church is at stake today worldwide. Church attendance in Rome is 3 per cent. They could produce only 5 to 7 priests a year. And if you want to buy real estate in Europe today, you buy an old, abandoned church. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in West Kensington, London, is a former church.

Then, there is the problem of the evangelical churches, which are not at all a part of the Catholic Church. These missionaries go into the houses of sick people and promise to cure them. I have so many documented case histories like this.

There too, we must recognise the simple fact that when you have thousands of missionaries scrambling for conversions, they are not here to save souls -- I mean, you may find one or two saints in a century. There must be some economic motive as far as the rest is concerned.

Come on, I think even the concept of a heathen is at least 50 years old!

Oh no, that terminology is used even now: I can show you documentary evidence to that effect. I have been told to my face repeatedly in the West that I am a heathen. (Frankly, I no longer find that term offensive.) But what about the tribals, who are converts? Conversion is very good for selling goods for Christmas or Valentine's Day.

But Hindu festivals outnumber Christian festivals any day and are definitely far more pro-consumerism. And where would poor tribals be able to afford Valentine's day cards or Christmas gifts? The West does not know that. Besides, I don't believe that anyone would support this level of activity without some economic benefit. Saving souls takes money, you know. The evangelical churches simply do not generate enough money internally to support so much activity. They obviously have some money coming from outside. A good deal of that is misused. You once said that Church institutions should be regarded as multinational corporations.I think the evangelical churches in particular are like MNCs that are still enjoying the benefits of colonialism. These institutions are international institutions. Yet, they are exempt from tax, which Hindu institutions are not.

The Indian government is subsidizing their activities as they are minority institutions. This is exactly what happened during the British rule. Goods coming from Britain were exempt from tariffs and currency rates were manipulated so that they would be cheaper. The special privileges they were given during British rule still continues. I say that as long as they are controlled from and financed by people outside India, they should be treated as MNCs.

The Catholic Church today is thriving on money plundered from the colonies. The places colonised by the British and French became secular as the French Revolution and Henry the Eighth broke the power of the Church in those respective countries. However, the Spanish and Portuguese colonies were part of the Catholic empires of those countries.

You say that Christian institutions in India are receiving a lot of money from abroad?

A single institutional bank account of a single Christian institution in
Bangalore received Rs 150 million from abroad. However, tax evasion is not unique to India. Similarly most Christian Institutions in Rural as well as Urban India receive huge amounts of aid from its patrons in the west who dream of a Christian India.

So are People of India unaware of the activities of The Church in India?

Oh No!!! Indians are not sleeping the politicians may be but the people are not,they are fully aware of what the Christians are up to in India in the name of Religion. India has given mankind the greatest of all possible intellectuals Gautama Buddha, Ashoka, Vivekananda, Chaitanya, Subash Bose and many great sons and daughters and  Indian People may be economically poor but culturally they are very rich and they are very patient and tolerant to all, so they cannot be taken for granted  hence if the Christian Church does not mend its ways it will have to face the wrath of Indian masses soon.