Anti-Christian hate crimes, including murders, make collective rise in Europe: report
Anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe including arson, vandalism, threats, physical assaults, and even murder showed a collective increase in 2022 The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe has revealed in a new report.
The observatory which is based in Vienna, Austria, and has been tracking hate crimes against Christians in Europe over the last decade, highlighted in their 2022/23 Annual Report a total of 749 documented hate crimes against Christians in 30 European countries in 2022. These crimes include 38 physical assaults and three murders. From 2021 to 2022, the observatory documented 519 hate crimes against Christians in Europe.
“There is a reasonable probability for higher dark numbers, due to limited reporting on anti-Christian hate crimes, the ‘chilling effect’ among victims, and the lack of media coverage,” researchers said.
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An increasing trend in hate crimes against Christians perpetrated by radicalized members of ideological, political, or religious groups that follow an anti-Christian narrative was also highlighted as Christians faced infringement on their religious freedoms through new laws regulating speech in public.
“The right to freedom of speech continues to be a highly debated issue, as new laws are seeking to regulate speech in the public sphere, and some even in the private sphere. New ‘buffer zones’ around abortion clinics are one form of state regulation that has led to the criminalization of Christians for praying silently on the street,” the report said.
“The religious freedom of Christians has also been affected through other legal developments, such as vaguely formulated and overreaching laws that would criminalize parents, pastors, and teachers if they express dissenting opinions regarding LGBTIQ-related discussions or discourage their children from undergoing ‘hormone therapies’ because of their religious convictions.”
The agenda against Christians in Europe is also seen in efforts to remove conscience clauses from legislation in the medical space that “put Christians who refuse to participate in controversial practices for reasons or religious conscience in vulnerable positions.”
“The war in Ukraine, apart from being a terrible humanitarian crisis, has also affected religious freedom in the region. Many of these incidents are highly political and ethnic-related, but they have led to different forms of discrimination towards Christians,” the report said. “Russian authorities and troops have repeatedly violated the religious freedom of Christians by closing churches and kidnapping or arresting pastors. Orthodox Christians have also faced discrimination in many European countries because of the war.” Similarly, Ukraine has been cracking down on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and arresting priests because of its historic ties to Russia.
In light of the growing number of attacks against Christians in Europe, the observatory urged government officials to improve communication with civil society organizations and religious groups when drafting legislation that could limit freedom of religion for Christians directly or indirectly.
“Improve religious literacy among public officials and state-owned media, and thereby ensure fair representation of religious views in media communication and awareness of religious freedom rights whenever state measures affect the lives of Christians,” the report recommended.
It also encouraged, among other things, that governmental human rights institutions better monitor and record instances of intolerance and discrimination against Christians.
Journalists, opinion leaders, and other members of society were encouraged to report and raise awareness about anti-Christian hate crimes; avoid engaging in misrepresentation and negative stereotyping of Christians and be aware of their responsibility in cultivating a tolerant public discourse.
“Employ the same standards when reporting or writing about Christians that are used with other religious groups or minorities,” the report said.
Christian churches and other individuals were encouraged to know their rights and “confront any restrictions faced for exercising faith.”
“Create awareness among Christians about what secular intolerance entails and how it can lead to self-censorship among Christians. Equip Christians to continue to share freely about their faith,” the report recommended. “Engage in public discourse in a respectful and informed manner, contributing to the dialogue between religion and secular society and building bridges between different groups.”
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