http://www.christianophobia.eu/

[Ambiorix]

http://www.christianophobia.eu/


About us

This website is hosted by the NGO Europe for Christ! registered in Germany (www.europe4christ.net) operating in all European Union countries. The managing team is grateful to several other NGOs for the permission to use their information on this website.

This website focusses on Europe (European Union and Accession Countries) and on a wider range on the OSCE countries. The information provided shall be a supplement to a worldwide concern by portraying the more subtle European situation. This focus by no means disregards or devalues the dramatic persecution of Christians in several countries of the world, but rather supplement this worldwide concern. Information about third countries is indicated through links on our website.

 

Support Europe for Christ! by joining the network!

http://www.europe4christ.net/index.php?id=16


The term

Christianophobia consists of the terms Christian and phobos (φόβος) which means “(irrational) fear”. The term means therefore irrational fear or hatred of Christians, or Christianity in general.

It consists of a negative categorical bias against Christians — both individually and collectively —, against Christianity as a whole, or positions intrinsically part of the Christian faith. Such prejudice is a form of religious intolerance; it may be simply a mental or emotional attitude, or it may lead to stereotyping, discrimination, or even – in extreme cases – to persecution of Christians.

The term Christianophobia was first used by Jewish legal scholar Joseph Weiler. It was introduced at the international institutions in December 2004, after the European Union rejected Rocco Buttiglione, a practizing Catholic, as EU commissioner. Several diplomates argued that discrimination against Christians must not spread any further. They called on the UN to draft laws on Christianophobia, as it has done on Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. The UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva now speaks of "anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and Christianophobia." The use of the word Christianophobia has been proposed for use in the UN General Assembly.

 

Christianophobia or Christophobia?

Both terms mean the same. Both are in use. While Christophobia is a simpler word, Christianophobia has already been introduced at the international institutions. For this reason we decided to prefer and use Christianophobia for our work.

http://www.christianophobia.eu/index.php?id=240&tx_mininews_pi1[showUid]=72&cHash=1ca8d01ebd

case

Austria: Socialist pupils association encourages members to vandalize churches

March 6th, 2008: In a newsletter Austrian "Aktion Kritischer Schüler" (socialist pupils association) encourages members to take the occasion of the international day against racism (March 21st) to vandalize churches.

March 6th, 2008: In its "Donnerstagsnewsletter" Austrian "Aktion Kritischer Schüler" (socialist pupils association) encourages members to vandalize churches by painting or spraying sentences such as "Jesus was a Jew" on their walls at the occasion of the international day against racism (March 21st) .

Their motivation is to point out the "absurdity" that the church was "racist and intolerant" while Jesus was a Jew himself." "Think instead of pray!" is another slogan used in this newsletter.


Germany: Christian Youth Festival in Germany under attack

Jan-March 08: “Christival” – a large Christian youth festival is protested by “anti-sexistic forces” due to its “conservative” contents such as its opositon to pre-marital sex and abortion. Organisers currently discuss with police how to protect participants and the festival.

Jan-March 08: The “Christival” (www.christival.de) is scheduled to take place in Bremen, Germany, from April 30th to May 4th. More than 15 000 youth are expected to participate.

The youth festival faces hard opposition of the leftist political party Bündnis90/die Grünen as well as “Anti-sexistic Forces”. The reason given are its “conservative” contents such as its opositon to pre-marital sex and abortion. The first critizism arose because of a workshop scheduled to explain different forms of therapy for homosexual desires. After this workshop was cancelled, the protests continued on other grounds. The CDU (Christian Democratic Party) and the EKD (Protestant Church) endorse the festival. Nevertheless, the organisers feel the need to ask for police protection to secure safety for particpants and the indisturbed conducted of the programme.


UK: Anglican priest beaten up in 'faith hate' incident

March 15, 2008: Anglican priest, Canon Michael Ainsworth, beaten up and insulted in 'faith hate' incident in his own churchyard by Asian youths.

By Jonathan Milne, The Sunday Times

An Anglican priest has been beaten up and insulted in what appears to be a “faith hate” assault by Asian youths.

Police are looking for three men after the attack in east London in which Canon Michael Ainsworth, 57, rector of St George-in-the-East, Shadwell, was attacked in his own churchyard after approaching the youths, who were behaving rowdily.

Two of the three attacked him, inflicting cuts, bruises and two black eyes. The assailants are also alleged to have insulted the cleric for his occupation.

“The suspects are Asian... and the incident is being investigated as an alleged faith hate crime,” said a police spokesman.

Under a new law introduced last year, it is an offence to stir up hatred against someone on grounds of their religion.

A parishioner raised the alarm after the attack on March 5, but the youths had fled by the time police arrived.

“There was blood everywhere,” a parishioner told the East London Advertiser. “All the church members are in shock over what happened. Our canon is such a nice man who has done so much for the parish. It’s been very upsetting.”

Ainsworth was admitted to the nearby Royal London hospital after the attack, was released and returned a week later. He is still in hospital under observation.

Alan Green, area dean for Tower Hamlets and chair of the local inter-faith forum, said the church was working with the council and police to ensure the safety of its ministers and members of the public in areas such as churchyards.

“We take any assault against members of the clergy very seriously and have had excellent support from the local police on this matter,” he said.

He said officers were correct to handle any incident involving an element of abusive faith-related language as a faith hate crime, in order to protect people of all faiths.

The Metropolitan Police recorded an upsurge in attacks against Muslims after the July 2005 bombings in London. There are also numerous attacks against Jews but, according to police