{"id":54242,"date":"2025-05-20T14:05:23","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T05:05:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=54242"},"modified":"2025-05-20T16:06:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T07:06:53","slug":"vomk-report-349","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2025\/05\/20\/vomk-report-349\/","title":{"rendered":"INDIA: WIDOW OF MURDERED MISSIONARY URGES FORGIVENESS AS MURDERER IS RELEASED EARLY FROM PRISON"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54235″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”One of the thirteen men found guilty of burning missionary Graham Staines and his two sons to death in India in 1999 was released last month for good behavior after 25 years in prison. Mahendra Hembram, now age 51, was cheered by members of Hindu nationalist groups and then led on a celebratory parade as he left Keonjhar Jail in Odisha on April 16, after posing for photos with prison officials. The celebration was criticized by members of the Christian and human rights communities in India and around the world. But Staines\u2019 widow is urging people to forgive.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left|color:%23111111″ google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”” el_class=”headline”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Subhankar Ghosh<\/span>, who is the spokesperson in Odisha for <\/span>Gladys Staines<\/span>, told the Telegraph of India, <\/span>\u201cMahendra is a reformed man now. He has already <\/span>repented for<\/span> his crime. Raking up the past will serve no purpose. We must hate the sin but not the sinner. Sinners have changed and God has forgiven them.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]According to Voice of the Martyrs Korea Representative Dr<\/span>.<\/span> Hyun Sook Foley, Gladys Staines\u2019 call for forgiveness echoes the one she first made when the killers were sentenced in 2003.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>At that time, <\/span>Mrs. Staines <\/span>released a statement saying that <\/span>she had forgiven the killers and had no bitterness toward them,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cShe <\/span>said she had high regard for Indian people, and she <\/span>praised <\/span>them <\/span>for their toleranc<\/span>e. She and her daughter stayed in India until 2004, <\/span>continuing on<\/span> the couples\u2019 work with lepers, since Mrs. Staines said she <\/span>didn\u2019t<\/span> want to leave the people who had trusted them. And she continued to travel back and forth to India since that time.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54238″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley says that Mrs. Staines\u2019 attitude and actions show the difference between <\/span>Christian human rights groups and Christian ministry.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201cMrs. Staines has always been clear that personal forgiveness and the legal process are two different things,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cShe has always used her public comments to proclaim the forgiveness available in Christ for all people, rather than getting involved in politics<\/span> or issues of law<\/span>. It is why she has been called the second most well-known Christian in India, after Mother Theresa.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Gladys Staines, now age 74 and living in Australia, <\/span>released the following statement <\/span>at the time of the sentencing of <\/span>Mahendra Hembram<\/span> and his co-defendants, in September 2003:<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

“I have forgiven the killers and have no bitterness because forgiveness brings <\/span>healing<\/span> and our land <\/span>[India] <\/span>needs healing from hatred and violence. Forgiveness and the consequences of the crime should not be mixed up<\/span>. <\/span>God in Christ has forgiven me and expects His followers to do the same. The Bible says: <\/span>\u2018<\/span>To whomsoever you forgive their sins will be forgiven<\/span>\u2019<\/span>.<\/span> Therefore, in the light of eternity we all need forgiveness of our sins to enter heaven<\/span>\u2026. N<\/span>o individual <\/span>i<\/span>s above the law of the land<\/span>. <\/span>I have no comments <\/span>regarding<\/span> the law taking its own course in crime and punishment. We are called to be under subjection <\/span>to<\/span> the governing authorities. For <\/span>there is no authority except God and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. We need to <\/span>honour<\/span> both God and man respectively<\/span>.<\/span>“<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54232″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”The Staines family. Gladys, now 74, is on the left. She and her daughter, now a medical doctor, live in Australia. Graham Staines, on the right, and the couples\u2019 two young sons were burnt to death by a Hindu nationalist mob in India in 1999.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0101|line_height:1.45em” css=””][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Representative Foley says that she believes Christian ministries and Christian human rights organizations can learn from Mrs. Staines\u2019 approach.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>It is of course deeply concerning for Christians to see <\/span>Mahendra Hembram<\/span> being cheered by Hindu nationalists and <\/span>to <\/span>hear the supportive comments about him and the other killers from <\/span>Hindu nationalist <\/span>political leaders,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201c<\/span>It\u2019s<\/span> easy to see why Christian human rights organizations <\/span>around the world <\/span>put out statements <\/span>condemning these events.<\/span> The<\/span> Christian human rights organizations <\/span>feel like their <\/span>role<\/span> is to stand up for <\/span>other Christians. But Mrs. Staines\u2019 focus has always been <\/span>solely <\/span>on preaching and living the gospel. Even when her husband and two young sons were burned to death, she focused on preaching the gospel and staying faithful to the ministry Christ had given to her and her husband. In the most difficult moments, Mrs. Staines has always chosen not to comment on politics or the legal process but instead to share the message that only Christians know, which is the forgiveness of sins available in Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe solution to Hindu <\/span>nationalist <\/span>politics is not Christian politics or even international human rights,\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cThe solution is the gospel of Jesus Christ.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=””]Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s website offers a fuller recounting of the Staines\u2019 family story, which can be seen at <\/span>https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/nl-11\/<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”54235″ img_size=”full” css=””][vc_custom_heading text=”One of the thirteen men found guilty of burning missionary Graham Staines and his two sons to death in India in 1999 was released last month …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":54234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54242","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54242","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54242"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54242\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54248,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54242\/revisions\/54248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54234"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}