LONDON: A British member of parliament has said the persecution of Christians should cause the same horror and outcry as the Nazi-instigated Kristallnacht and other World War II atrocities.
Speaking during a parliamentary debate, Fiona Bruce highlighted increasing reports of “extreme persecution”, especially in the Middle East.
Ms Bruce said Christians in the region “have suffered from a domino effect of violence that began in Iraq, spread to Syria and overshadows Egypt, leaving the survival of the Church in jeopardy”.
“We should be crying out with the same abhorrence and horror that we feel about the atrocities towards Jews on Kristallnacht and on other occasions during the Second World War,” she said.
She made the remarks leading a Westminster Hall Adjournment Debate on the persecution of Christians in the Middle East, making reference to the recently-released report, Persecuted and Forgotten? A Report on Christians oppressed for their Faith 2011-2013.
Photo: ACN
In the report, the UK-based international charity Aid to the Church in Need indicated that intolerance against Christians had increased in 20 of the 30 countries under review.
“The ACN report discusses how in virtually every country in and around the [Middle East], Christians report suffering either high, high to extreme, or extreme persecution,” she said.
Due to the “global implications” of this persecution against Christians, she called on the UK Government to respond.
In response to the debate, Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire said: “Protecting human rights, including religious freedom, is an important part of British foreign policy.”
Other MPs present at the debate also highlighted the global reality of Christian persecution.
Christians face persecution in about 130 countries worldwide, said David Simpson, who went on to offer the following statistic: “Every hour, a Christian is tortured and murdered somewhere in the world.
“Surely, in this day and age, something more can be done to protect people and their faith.”
It is estimated more than 100,000 Christians are killed for their faith each year.
