By Catholic Register
Beth Griffin
Christians are the most persecuted religious group worldwide, but hypocrisy, political correctness and ignorance prevent the international community from implementing a comprehensive response to pervasive violence against them, said speakers at a U.N. event Sept. 27.
Beth Griffin
Christians are the most persecuted religious group worldwide, but hypocrisy, political correctness and ignorance prevent the international community from implementing a comprehensive response to pervasive violence against them, said speakers at a U.N. event Sept. 27.
The participants in a high-level panel discussion said 80% of people
killed because of their religious beliefs are Christian and the number
of Christians hurt or displaced is on the rise.
Teodoro Lopez Locsin Jr., Philippines secretary of foreign affairs,
said 4,100 Christians were killed for their beliefs in 50 countries in
2018 and an average of 250 Christians have been killed each month of
2019. He said the deaths are "a votive offering of the West to the
oil-rich East."
"The next Holocaust will be of Christians," Locsin said, even though
many of the world's greatest powers profess to be Christian or have a
Christian heritage.
"In global politics, the fact that Christians are being persecuted is
being ignored," said Peter Szijjarto, Hungary's minister of foreign
affairs and trade. He told CNS that his government is "fighting against
the perception that Christianophobia would be the last acceptable form
of discrimination."
Szijjarto said it is regrettable that while Muslim leaders speak
enthusiastically about the plight of their mistreated people, Christians
seem to be shy about calling attention to the violence against
Christians. He attributed this to religion being seen as a local issue
and not a global one.
"The international community is absolutely not sensitive" to
Christian persecution, and prefers to address issues of "religious
minorities," he said.
"There is no generic religion and we can’t talk about religious
freedom in a generic way," said Ernesto Araujo, Brazil's minister of
foreign affairs.
"Some defend religious freedom as long as there is no religion
involved. ... The world accepts Christianity as long as it is a set of
social values," he said.
Speakers said the response to violence against Christians must include both political resolve and concrete actions.
Szijjarto said Hungary has been a Christian country for more than
1,000 years and feels a responsibility for the Christian community
around the world. Since 2017, it has provided $40 million to help
persecuted Christians in the Middle East. He said direct aid has been
given to Catholic bishops eager to help Christians stay in their homes
and encourage others to return from exile elsewhere.
"The bishops ask us not to invite people to settle in Europe because
that contributes to fulfilling the goal of terrorist organizations to
eliminate the Christian community," he said.
Hungarian funds have been used to rebuild 1,000 homes on the Ninevah
Plain in Iraq and reconstruct 33 Christian churches in Lebanon, he said.
Four schools are now being built in Iraq and Syria, and Hungary is
covering the medical expenses of the three largest Christian hospitals
in Syria.
Szijjarto said more than 50,000 Christians have either returned home
or been able to stay in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Ethiopia
because of the Hungarian aid.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said the return
of displaced Christians to the Ninevah Plain "is a sign that evil does
not have the last word. It is also a powerful witness of the importance
of the Christian presence in the Middle East, where Christianity has its
deepest historical roots and has been a fundamental source of peace,
stability and pluralism for centuries."
Ambassador Ghady El Khoury of Lebanon said Christians now comprise 5%
of the population of the Middle East, down from almost 20% in the last
century.
Cardinal Parolin said more must be done to ensure the return of
Christians and ensure the long-term prospects for peace in their homes.
"While security is a first and essential priority, for them to recover a
dignified way of life requires more," he said.
He called on the international community to prevent persecution,
provide a coherent continuum of development assistance and keep the
freedoms of religion and belief at the heart of its efforts.
"Standing up for freedom of religion or belief requires collaborative
action. It is not an option, it’s fundamental," said Lord Tariq Ahmad
of Wimbledon, who is minister of state of the United Kingdom.
Ahmad, a Muslim whose children attend Catholic schools, said: "Faith
is not something to be hidden away, but celebrated. I passionately
believe that the strongest test of my own faith is when I stand up for
the beliefs of others."
The panel discussion, "Rebuilding Lives, Rebuilding Communities:
Ensuring a Future for Persecuted Christians" was held in conjunction
with the high-level week of the 74th session of the U.N. General
Assembly.
It was co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Hungary to the U.N. and the Mission of Brazil to the U.N.
The moderator was Ambassador Katalin Annamaria Bogyay of Hungary.
Other speakers included Robert Destro, U.S. assistant secretary of state
for democracy, human rights and labor, and Eamon Gilmore, the European
Union's special representative for human rights.