EU condemns attacks against Christians after previous failure
Country: UNITED KINGDOM, EUROPE
“All persons belonging to religious communities and minorities should be able to practice their religion and worship freely, individually or in community with others, without fear of intolerance and attacks.” EU Foreign Affairs Council
EU foreign ministers have condemned attacks against Christians and other religious communities after previously failing to agree a statement that specified Christians among victims of the violence.
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But on Monday the ministers released an agreed statement, which did specifically condemn anti-Christian attacks. It said:
The Council expresses its profound concern about the increasing number of acts of religious intolerance and discrimination, as epitomised by recent violence and acts of terrorism, in various countries, against Christians and their places of worship, Muslim pilgrims and other religious communities, which it firmly condemns.
The EU began a debate about religious violence after the Christmas and New Year period, which saw a string of attacks against Christians in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Members of the European Parliament adopted a resolution on 20 January condemning the attacks and called on the foreign ministers to discuss the persecution of Christians and respect for religious freedom at their forthcoming Foreign Affairs Council.
This was followed on 27 January by an equally explicit recommendation by the Council of Europe, which warned that Christian communities could disappear from the Middle East if the issue of violence was not addressed.
Though Baroness Ashton told the European Parliament at the 20 January sitting that "the EU will not turn a blind eye" to the persecution of Christians around the world, she was later accused of appeasing Muslim sensibilities by her stance at the first Council debate.