Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, targets of the Kerala serial blasts?

On Sunday morning, 2,500 faithfuls of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect from across Kerala gathered for a prayer meeting at the Zamra International Convention and Exhibition Centre at Kalamassery. Their world turned upside down after three blasts rocked the gathering near Kochi, which left three dead, including a 12-year-old girl, and more than 50 injured. Hours after the attack, Dominic Martin , an estranged member of Jehovah’s Witnesses, claimed responsibility for the attack. He is now in police custody. Taking responsibility for the blasts, he posted a video on social media, saying, “I take responsibility for the blast. I am posting this video to convince you why I have done it. I had been a member of Jehovah’s Witnesses for the last 16 years. I was not very serious about my faith. I realised that their stand is anti-national and wanted them to rectify it. But they were not ready for it.” The serial blasts have put the focus on Jehovah’s Witnesses. But what is this sect and how many followers do they have in India? We explain. Who are the Jehovah’s Witnesses? Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian denomination, whose origins can be traced to 19th Century America. The sect is considered an offshoot of the International Bible Students’ Association, founded by Charles Taze Russell in Pittsburgh in 1872, according to historians. Russell and his followers developed beliefs and practices that differed from mainstream Christianity. After Russell died in 1916, Joseph Franklin Rutherford became the leader of the sect. He was the one who adopted the name Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1931. The governing body of the sect is located in New York’s Warwick. The body responsible for the doctrines followed by Jehovah’s Witnesses is called the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania, also headquartered in Warwick, according to a report in The Indian Express. What are the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Followers of Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe in the Holy Trinity – God, the Father and the Son (Jesus Christ). According to the beliefs of the sect, Jesus Christ is the “King of God’s Kingdom in heaven” but not the Almighty God. However, it learns from the teachings and examples set by Christ and hence they consider themselves Christians, reports PTI. Jehovah’s Witnesses worship Jehovah as “the one true and Almighty God, the Creator”, who is “the God of Abraham, Moses, and Jesus”. The group does not venerate the cross or any other images, according to jw.org, the Jehovah’s Witnesses website. The faithfuls do not celebrate Christmas or Easter as they believe such festivals are inspired by Pagan traditions. The sect tries to “work what is good toward all,” yet they “remain strictly neutral in political affairs and avoid affiliation with other religions. However, they “respect the choices that others make in such matters,” says jw.org. The group follows certain strict social mores, which forbid them from receiving blood transfusions and prevent married couples from divorcing, except in the case of adultery, reports PTI. It is known for its worldwide practice of door-to-door evangelism, making efforts to spread its beliefs among people outside their group. The movement teaches non-violence and stays politically neutral, with members refusing to vote or serve in the military, according to a report in Al-Jazeera. Jehovah’s Witnesses live in 230 countries and come from many ethnic and cultural backgrounds. [caption id=“attachment_13316912” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] People rush to save themselves after a blast at a convention centre in Kalamassery, in Ernakulam district. Three people have died and over 50 have been injured, according to police. PTI[/caption] How many Jehovah’s Witnesses are in India? The sect has been present in India since 1905 and it established its office in Mumbai in 1926. It obtained legal registration in 1978, The Indian Express reports. According to jw.org, there are 947 congregations in India and 56,747 ministers who teach the Bible. India has about 60,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses followers, reports Al-Jazeera. A landmark case involving the sect dates back to August 1986. Supreme Court Justices O Chinnappa Reddy and M M Dutt protected the three Jehovah’s Witnesses children in the case of Bijoe Emmanuel & Ors vs State Of Kerala & Ors. They were excused from singing the national anthem at school, as the court ruled that compelling them violated their fundamental right to religion. Why was the sect targeted? Dominic’s claim that he was behind the blast has been backed by intelligence sources. An estranged member of the sect, he reportedly had differences with it. “Jehovah’s Witnesses are (a) peculiar system where they don’t like Catholic and not even celebrate Christmas. They also don’t like to sing the National Anthem. And due to this he was badly upset and wanted to teach them lesson,” top intelligence sources were quoted as saying by News18.com. [caption id=“attachment_13316922” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Jehovah’s Witness faithful and others wait outside the Zamra International Convention Centre after explosive devices blew up during their prayer session in Kalamassery, a town in Kochi. AP[/caption] What are Jehovah’s Witnesses’ faithfuls saying? The faithfuls say what happened at their prayer meeting in Kalamassery has sent shockwaves through the community, as its members say the group is open to people of all faiths and castes. “It is unprecedented,” one of them told PTI. Jose, a local businessman from Thiruvananthapuram who is a part of the religious group, expressed shock over the attack, emphasising that the Witnesses’ prayer meetings are inclusive and draw participants from diverse religious backgrounds. Meetings held twice a week in local “Kingdom Halls”, meeting places for religious services, typically begin and conclude with songs and prayers. When asked whether they hold state-level conventions of their members, he said Jehovah’s Witnesses usually don’t organise mass prayer meetings or gatherings. The prayer meeting held at the convention centre in Kochi on Sunday might have been a meeting of the local members, Jose added. What are politicians saying? Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday termed as “unfortunate” and “serious” the blast at the convention centre. “It is an unfortunate incident… An investigation has been launched and further details will be available later," the CM told reporters in Delhi on Sunday, where he has gone to attend some party programmes. “The incident is being viewed very seriously.” Union Minister and senior BJP leader V Muraleedharan called for a probe into “terror activities against Christian gatherings”. However, Kerala BJP president K Surendran said the incident should be seen in the backdrop of the “pro-Palestine and pro-Hamas stance taken by the mainstream parties in the state”. Union minister Rajeev Chandrashekhar echoed similar views. Moments after the blast, in a post on X, he slammed the Kerala CM for “appeasement politics”. Referring to the protest against the Israel-Hamas war that Vijayan participated in Delhi, Chandrashekhar said, “Sitting in Delhi and protesting against Israel, when in Kerala open calls by Terrorist Hamas for Jihad is causing attacks and bomb blasts on innocent Christians.” Chandrashekhar was hinting at the pro-Palestine rally in Kerala’s Malappuram held on Friday, which was virtually addressed by former head of Hamas, Khaled Mashal. Hitting back at the Union minister, Vijayan said, “Those who are poisonous will keep spitting poison… One of the Union Ministers made a statement that I am engaging in appeasement politics and protesting against Israel.” With inputs from agencies