Amid protests in cities of various nations and rising oil prices, Asian churches across the continent call for peace and dialogue.
By John Dayal, UCA News
The eruption of hostilities between Israel, the United States, and Iran — codenamed “Operation Epic Fury” — has thrust Asia into a precarious and highly sensitive geopolitical and humanitarian crisis, evoking a hesitant response of protest rallies and peace prayers.
On Feb. 28, the coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes that assassinated Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei triggered a cascade of missile and drone retaliations from Iran targeting Israeli cities and American bases across the Gulf.
The conflict’s opening salvos have already claimed over 500 civilian lives, sent global oil prices soaring toward US$150 a barrel, and revived nuclear tensions. But it is not a distant thunder for Asia, home to nearly two billion Muslims and millions of its migrant workers in the line of fire in West Asia.
The tempest touches the emotions and economies of the people — Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and the small Christian communities in each of the countries in the region.
Asia stands as the epicenter of the world’s Muslim population. Countries such as Indonesia (230 million Muslims), Pakistan (240 million, 97% of its population), India (200 million, about 14%), Bangladesh (150 million, around 90%), and Malaysia (20 million, 60%) collectively host over 1.9 billion Muslims — about 62% of the global Muslim population.
This staggering demographic reality overshadows the Middle East’s 400 million Muslims and shapes the cultural, political and social contours of the continent.
Street protests have erupted across the continent, from Karachi’s deadly clashes that left 22 dead on March 1, to Srinagar’s simmering unrest over Khamenei’s assassination, to Dhaka’s mosques amplifying Tehran’s grief.
Protests have also been held in New Delhi and many other capitals. Prayer meetings have been called in India’s national capital by laity groups, and in southern Kerala state by dioceses.
These protests express defiance but also deep-seated political and religious solidarity, echoing memories of past conflicts, fears, and grievances.
Asian Church promotes dialogue in times of tension
At the same time, Asia’s governments are caught in complex geopolitical webs. India and Pakistan maintain strong ties to the United States, while India and Sri Lanka have deepened relations with Israel, especially in the defense and technology sectors.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls himself best friends with Donald Trump and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. His government’s diplomatic balancing act is further complicated by its oil-for-port deals with Iran with the Chabahar port, a crucial strategic link that bypasses Pakistan. India also holds a sizable Shia community.
These overlapping alliances place Asian governments in a geopolitical bind, forcing them to navigate between competing global powers and regional allegiances.
For their part, Asian churches seem to have taken on a vital moral role. Representing a minority of 30 to 35 million people — roughly 2 to 3 percent of Asia’s population — Christian communities are acutely aware of the risks of being caught in crossfires and communal tensions.
Churches across the continent, including Catholic hierarchies under the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), Protestant networks, and local dioceses, have raised clear calls for peace rooted in Christian theology and ethical teachings.
Stressing protection of innocent lives and preference for dialogue over armed conflict, churches urge restraint and de-escalation. At the back of their heads is awareness that escalation risks unleashing sectarian violence, anti-Western sentiments, and even anti-Christian pogroms.
Among the Indian states, Kerala stands out as a critical locus of Christian response to the crisis. Home to 18-20% Christians of its 35 million population — predominantly Syro-Malabar Catholics, Syro-Malankara Catholics, and Latin rite Catholics — Kerala’s churches are deeply intertwined with the issue, both spiritually and materially.
Bishops of Kerala call for prayers for peace in the Gulf region
The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council, overseeing 32 dioceses and some 6-7 million faithful, has issued a carefully worded circular urging parishes to hold special Masses, rosary chains, and intercessory prayers specifically for the victims of the war and for peace in the Gulf region.
The Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council’s guidance avoids naming the US or Israel as aggressors or echoing political rhetoric such as Kerala’s Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s labelling of “rogue nations.” This measured approach aims to maintain interfaith harmony in a state where Christians coexist with large Hindu and Muslim communities, preserving Kerala’s tradition of religious pluralism.
Kerala is also home to the single largest migrant community working in West Asia.
Approximately 2.5 to 3 million people from Kerala work in the Gulf region, many of them Christians, mostly of Syro-Malabar Catholics. Others are Hindus and Muslims, and some Sikhs.
Remittances from these workers constitute around 30% of Kerala’s gross state domestic product, amounting to some US$20 billion annually. The Gulf’s instability threatens not only their physical safety but also the economic lifeblood of their families and Kerala’s broader economy.
Kerala Churches have therefore demonstrated remarkable solidarity with Gulf migrants and their families.
Caritas Kerala, the humanitarian arm of the Catholic Church, is actively preparing evacuation plans modelled on the 1990 Gulf War airlifts, readying to assist thousands of migrants in peril.
The Kerala Council of Churches, representing Protestant denominations with roughly 1 million members in the state, has echoed the call for peace. The Church of South India, with around 4 million members nationally, channels its humanitarian networks to provide aid and prayer support.
Beyond Kerala, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, which represents 132 dioceses and approximately 20 million Catholics nationwide, is yet to issue a statement, but it is part of the Asia-Pacific Catholic Coalition whose statement condemns violence and calls for peace.
The Church in Asia in the face of war and migration
The Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), the umbrella body uniting over 20 bishops’ conferences from India to Indonesia, has maintained a cautious but clear stance during this crisis, emphasizing “Asian integral ecology” — a vision of peace intertwined with faith, justice, and dialogue.
In Pakistan, where Christians number around 2.5 million but face high persecution risks, the national Catholic Bishops’ Conference has also adopted a posture of cautious silence, emphasizing interfaith harmony and protection of migrants without direct political commentary.
Similarly, in Muslim-majority Malaysia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, churches maintain a quiet but firm commitment to peace, working behind the scenes to foster inter-religious dialogue and humanitarian aid.
The war’s humanitarian dimension is sharply felt in the millions of South Asian migrant workers in West Asia. India alone has an estimated 8 million migrants in the Gulf, with Kerala’s large diaspora playing a critical economic and social role. Pakistan’s 3 million Gulf workers and Bangladesh’s significant expatriate population are equally vulnerable.
These migrants serve as the backbone of many Gulf economies — building infrastructure, staffing hospitals, operating businesses, and contributing to the region’s development. Remittances sent home by these workers are lifelines for their families and crucial economic pillars for their home countries.
War threatens the livelihoods of millions
For instance, India receives approximately $100 billion annually in remittances, with Kerala accounting for 20% of that total. Pakistan and Bangladesh also rely heavily on these funds to sustain millions living in poverty.
The war threatens to disrupt this fragile ecosystem. The Gulf region also hosts countries such as Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, which house large expatriate communities, and are now conflict zones or under threat, complicating migrant safety and livelihood.
Kerala bishops, as Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council and Caritas Kerala, are coordinating with state and federal authorities, preparing welcome centers for returning migrants, and exploring large-scale evacuation operations.
The Syro-Malabar Church, with approximately 200,000 of its people in the Middle East, plays a critical role in this network despite internal factional challenges.
Protestant bodies, such as the Kerala Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches in India, also coordinate support and advocacy, framing their response in a Christian worldview of mercy and peace.
Featured image: Shi’ite Muslims protest and chant anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans at Jantar Mantar, an observatory in New Delhi, India, after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in Israeli and U.S. strikes Feb. 28, 2026. (OSV News/Anushree Fadnavis, Reuters)
