In the pursuit of global harmony, religious harmony is indispensable.
In a joint initiative, the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR), along with the German, Swiss, and Austrian Evangelical Alliances, and the International Institute for Religious Freedom, have released the "Yearbook on Persecution and Discrimination of Christians 2024" and the "Yearbook on Religious Freedom 2024". These publications aim to document and analyse ongoing religious persecution, discrimination, and violations of religious freedom faced by Christians and other religious groups worldwide.
Frank Heinrich, head of the German Evangelical Alliance, has warned about the misuse of religion for political and geostrategic goals, citing Turkish President Erdogan's anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli hatred as an example. Heinrich believes that Erdogan's hostile and hateful attitudes towards Jews and Israel have become more prominent in domestic politics.
Thomas Rachel, federal chairman of the Protestant working group of the CDU German party, has expressed concern over the growing number of hate crimes against Christians in Europe. In times of numerous violent conflicts, Rachel emphasises that there can be no world peace without religious peace.
The yearbooks pay particular attention to "hotspots" such as Russia, Africa, India, and China. Volker Kauder, chairman of the CDU/CSU group in the German parliament, denounced that the Russian Orthodox Church is undermining Christian morality, and that defining a belief as correct leads to great pressure of persecution, especially for Christians, particularly in Islamic states.
China's repression of believers, blasphemy laws in India, and anti-conversion laws are major threats to the human right to religious self-determination. Felix Böllmann, director of European advocacy at ADF International, agrees that restrictions on the expression of faith are increasing in Europe due to so-called 'hate speech' laws. Böllmann believes that these laws have a deterrent effect, leading to self-censorship and silencing people, with serious consequences for the social climate, religious communities, and personal beliefs.
Thomas Schirrmacher, president of ISHR, has pointed out that religious freedom is a significant factor in many socially relevant issues, and that the situation regarding religious freedom and human rights has worsened in most regions of the world compared to ten years ago. Martin Lessenthin, human rights expert and co-editor of the yearbooks, underlined that dictators are updating their methods to intimidate critics or cover up human rights violations.
The Yearbook on Persecution and Discrimination of Christians reports systematic discrimination, violence, and restrictions against Christian communities in various countries. This includes legal and social discrimination, attacks on churches, and repression by state and non-state actors aimed at restricting Christian religious practices and community life. The Yearbook on Religious Freedom 2024 extends the focus beyond Christians to encompass violations of religious liberty on a global scale.
These publications serve as critical tools for monitoring religious freedom trends and responding to violations committed against Christians and other religious minorities worldwide. The ISHR collaborates with partner organizations to gather comprehensive data on religious persecution and discrimination, aiming to inform public policy, raise international awareness, and advocate for protective measures to ensure the human rights of persecuted religious minorities.
- The misuse of religion for political purposes has raised concerns, as Frank Heinrich, head of the German Evangelical Alliance, suggests, when citing Turkish President Erdogan's anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli attitudes that seem to have seeped into domestic politics.
- As Thomas Rachel, federal chairman of the Protestant working group of the CDU German party, points out, the growing number of hate crimes against Christians in Europe is a matter of great concern, highlighting the importance of religious peace for world peace.
