India bans foreign donations to Mother Teresa

The decision comes as part of a heated hate campaign waged by Hindu extremists against religious minorities. It was also announced on one of the most important Christian holidays of the year, Christmas. A few days ago, the police opened an investigation into Mother Teresa’s organization for allegedly hurting “Hindu sentiments”.

Mother Teresa founded Missionaries of Charity in 1950. She received the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in Indian slums, and was canonized posthumously. Run by nuns, the organization runs shelters for the poor across India. External donations are vital to this work.

forced conversion

Radical Hindus in Gujarat have accused Mother Teresa of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity, an accusation that has existed for a long time. In Karnataka in particular, Christians have recently been attacked by Hindu extremists, including through the disruption of worship services. An evangelical pastor was also recently arrested for “harming” (Hindu) religious feelings.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, the license to receive funds from abroad was not renewed due to “conflicting signals”. Many believe this rejection is an indication that the Indian government, led by Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, is in agreement with the growing hostility of religious minorities in Hindu-majority India. Muslims in particular are the target, but Christians also have to suffer.