MUMBAI, INDIA (ANS) -- Gospel for Asia (GFA) President K.P. Yohannan today (Wednesday, November 26, 2008) lamented the terrorist attacks on India’s financial capital of Mumbai that have left some 80 people dead and more than 200 wounded, saying he has serious questions about who was behind the bloodshed.

Flames and black smoke billow from the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai (Photo: AFP)

A GFA news release says, “In coordinated gun and grenade attacks, gunmen opened fire in at least seven locations, including the main train station, two luxury hotels, a restaurant frequented by foreigners and a hospital where wounded would be treated.

“The terrorists have taken hostages, including Westerners, and Mumbai’s 105-year-old Taj Palace Hotel was in flames. Troops surrounded the Taj Mahal Palace and Oberoi hotels, where terrorists were holding hostages in the wake of the attacks.”

Dr. Yohannan said that while news reports are blaming Islamic terrorists, he has doubts about who is truly behind the attacks.

“This is definitely a well-planned and executed incident to bring instability to the nation in the light of the national elections coming up,” he said. “But I have real reservations about placing blame on the Muslims.”

Dan Wooding interviews K.P. Yohannan in India on a previous occasion

Dr. Yohannan pointed out that there have been at least eight major terrorist attacks within India this year, and all were initially attributed to Islamic terrorists.

“But upon further investigation, they all turned out to have been perpetrated by radical Hindu extremist groups led by radical priests,” he pointed out. “So until there is a complete investigation of these horrible attacks, I am not ready to blame the Muslims.

“Anyone can take a Muslim name for their group,” he noted.

Lending credence to the doubts was the fact that among those killed in the attacks was a leading anti-terrorism official who played a role in uncovering the Hindu connections to the previous attacks.

Regardless of the source, the attacks across the city once known as Bombay seemed to be aimed at foreigners, and multiple witnesses have reported that the terrorists were seeking out people with British or American passports.

“This is definitely going to scare foreign investment,” Dr. Yohannan noted, “and that is ultimately going to hurt the Dalits and others at the bottom of India’s caste system.

“Usually a nation has to remain in poverty for these extremists to keep their hold, and this could be a plot, because without foreign investment, the Dalits will remain in poverty.”

Dr. Yohannan also noted that attacks seeking out foreigners, was completely contrary to Indian culture.

“India always treated foreigners with such respect and value,” he said. “This is totally against the nature of Indians. The question is, will this spread over all the country?

“We know that only the Gospel of Christ can change human hearts, regardless of caste, race or religion. That is why we must pray for India at this time.”

Speaking about 40 minutes from Mumbai, the GFA founder lamented, “I am deeply saddened over these inhumane, brutal acts of killing innocent people. My beautiful land is beautiful no more.”

Gospel for Asia is a mission organization sharing God’s love through both words and actions in the most unreached regions of the 10/40 Window. GFA serves the people of all these nations regardless of class, creed or religion, bringing Christ’s love to suffering humanity. Its website can be found at www.gfa.org.

For Editors: Dr. K.P. Yohannan is available for interviews from India. To schedule an interview, please call +972-300-3120

Dan Wooding, 67, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma of 45 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS); and US Bureau Chief for the Missionaries News Service (www.missionariesnews.tv) and Safe Worlds IPTV’s Christian News Services. He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding He is also the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com.