According to a recent report written by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC), persecution is on the rise. The report examined dozens of nations and crimes across the European continent. They also explored how these trends have evolved over time. The report encouraged legislators to take action to curb the persecution of Christians.
According to the report, they examined “2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes in 35 countries” in 2023. This report was pulled from police records, their own research, and data from other NGOs. The report found that France, the United Kingdom, and Germany were the “most affected countries. France had by far the highest number of anti-Christian crimes.
In a press release, Anja Hoffmann, executive director of OIDAC Europe, said, “These trends should alert us all to step up efforts to protect freedom of religion or belief, including the freedom to openly and respectfully discuss different philosophical and religious viewpoints on sensitive issues without fear of reprisal and censorship.” Julia Doxat-Purser, another woman, also responded to the report.
She said, “This workplace problem has been apparent for some years in the UK, with numerous cases each year.” The sociopolitical representative and religious liberty coordinator for the European Evangelical Alliance (EEA) added, ” [The] EEA believes that the workplace should be a safe space for people of all faiths and none, where no one needs to leave their beliefs at the door, [and] where differences are accommodated with respect.”
The report concluded by asking governments to “improve religious literacy among public officials and state media to ensure fair representation of religious views in media communication” and “collect disaggregated data with the specific aim of monitoring intolerance and discrimination against Christians.” They specifically asked to remove “undue restrictions on the free exercise of faith.”