In the last few years, many Christians have fled their home countries due to religious persecution — many of them from the cradle of Christianity. For some, life in Germany is not much better than the places they fled: the threat posed by radical Muslims towards Christians followed them to Europe and it is spreading through some refugee homes.
The Knights of Columbus urges the United States to join the International Association of Genocide Scholars, 60 UK Parliamentarians, 200+ Members of Congress, Pope Francis, the European Parliament, and many other and recognize the genocide against Christians and other minority groups in Iraq and Syria.
Online petition has received over 55,000 signatures since November.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Friday to take up a case that addresses the question of whether states can exhibit hostility to religion by prohibiting churches and church-run organizations from participating in state programs solely because the groups are religious.
According to the 2015 Open Doors World Watch List, the Middle East Remains Most Violent While Africa Sees Largest Increase in Persecution of Christians.
The report provides an overview of data collected on hate crimes, and of responses to hate crimes. The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe submitted data, from which cases from 12 countries will be included in the final report which will be available online on November 16, 2015.
At the OSCE Conference CIO.GAL/54/15 "Enhancing efforts to prevent and combat intolerance and discrimination against Christians, focusing on hate crimes, exclusion, marginalisation and denial of rights" in Vienna on May 18, 2015, Dr. Gudrun Kugler, director of the Observatory, delivered a keynote address.
Every few years the UN review each of its members with regard to their human rights situation in the so-called Univeral Periodic Review. The Observatory submitted a report on the violations of religious freedom in Austria. Find here the full report.
While Europe is not the region with the highest level of religious hostilities – that remains the Middle East-North Africa region – harassment and attacks against religious minorities continue in many European countries.
Nearly 2,500 people of all faiths were asked about excercising their religion at work for a nationwide study conducted by the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission. The research was done to investigate visibly growing conflict over Christians’ rights to act in accordance with their religious beliefs. The results are striking: Christians are often scared to admit their beliefs!
There have been recored 3.500 church burglaries since 2010 in North Rhine-Westphalia. During the past five years in North Rhine-Westphalia 3.504 church burglaries were committed. That indicates that per year, 660 to 790 church burglaries are taking place. 80% of the 785 suspects had German nationality.
36 places of worship or devotion, schools, tombs and Christian websites were documented on L’Observatoire de la Christianophobie for January 2015 in France.
On Jan 29, 2015, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted the Resolution: „Tackling intolerance and discrimination in Europe with a special focus on Christians“. The Observatory welcomes the resolution as an important Stepp into the right direction. The resolution was adopted with 67 votes in favour, 2 against and 15 abstentions.
While 30% of the population agree, 67% disagree with the de-Christianisation of religious and cultural traditions. 47% of Germans think that Germany is not self-confident enough with its Christian traditions.
The international Catholic charity and Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report entitled Religious Freedom in the World Report 2014, which was first presented on November 5th, 2014. Read in the following the Report’s concerns regarding Germany.
The international Catholic charity and Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report entitled Religious Freedom in the World Report 2014, which was first presented on November 5th, 2014. Read in the following the Report’s concerns regarding The Netherlands.
The international Catholic charity and Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report entitled Religious Freedom in the World Report 2014, which was first presented on November 5th, 2014. Read in the following the Report’s concerns regarding France.
The international Catholic charity and Pontifical Foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) published a report entitled Religious Freedom in the World Report 2014, which was first presented on November 5th, 2014. The Observatory provided data for the European region to the report. Find here a summary of the key findings, including information on the seven countries, ACN finds worrying in Europe.