Christians Now Face ‘Near Genocide’ In Some Parts Of The World
A new report claims the persecution of Christians is an ‘near genocide’ levels in some parts of the world. The paper, ordered by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, estimates that 1-in-3 people suffer from religious persecution.
A BBC article revealed that an interim report from the review, led by the Bishop of Truro the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen, said Christianity faced being «wiped out» from parts of the Middle East.
It claims Christians in Palestine represent less than 1.5% of the population, while in Iraq they had fallen from 1.5 million before 2003 to fewer than 120,000.
The foreign secretary commissioned the review on Boxing Day 2018 amid an outcry over the treatment of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who faced death threats after being acquitted of blasphemy in Pakistan.
Mr Hunt reportedly said he thought governments had been «asleep» over the issue, but that this report and the attacks in Sri Lanka had «woken everyone up with an enormous shock».
Any persecution should be shocking; beliefs, race, politics. The president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Marie van der Zyl, was quick to welcome the interim findings. She said Jews, often targets of persecution, felt for Christians discriminated against on the basis of their faith.
The review will publish its full findings in the summer. While it will expose the scale of the problem, I wonder what solutions it might propose.
How do we re-train ourselves to be accepting and respectful of others’ faiths, beliefs and customs? This report is a start. It will, I hope, leave no room for argument and give plenty of space to explore how best to find a way we can live alongside each other.
The Bible of course already has answers within its teachings – teachings that show Christians the way – and of course other faiths have their own.
The problem is real and it is now and Christians aren’t the only faith group in trouble.
Every one of us within are different faiths already has the solutions right in front of us, in our hands, every time we come together to give thanks in our synagogues, mosques and churches. Let’s try and live by them.
Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48146305
