Persecution of Christians denuonced at UN Human Rights Council meeting

The persecution of Christians in the world has been denounced at the meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

The European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ) has presented some examples from Pakistan, India and Afghanistan during the 51th session of the Human Right Council that took place in Geneva at the beginning of October.

In Pakistan, Christians are often accused of blasphemy and attacked by Muslim mobs. “Every year, about 40-50 cases of blasphemy are registered, and the courts continue to make unjust decisions due to increasing social pressure from Islamists.”, said ECLJ research fellow, Louis-Marie Bonnea.

Allegations of blasphemy, which could lead to the death penalty, are often spurious.

The ECLJ representative called the Pakistani government to stop the abuse of blasphemy laws and to punish the violent attackers.

In India, Christians are persecuted by Hindu extremists and also by the Government. “Police frequently arrest Christians under false charges disguised as fraudulent or forcible conversion. The charges arise from the misuse of anti-conversion laws, which have been established to ensure that people from lower castes, most of whom are Christians, remain socially and economically low.”, the ECLJ told to the UN Human Rights Commission.

In Afghanistan, after the Taliban took back control of the country, Christians and other religious groups are at extreme risk. “Under the Taliban’s rule, converting from Islam to Christianity is against the law and punishable by death. The Taliban has been utilizing tactics to uncover Christians by confiscating suspected Christians’ phones and looking through messages and contacts. The Taliban has even used direct correspondence and social media to deliver threats of imprisonment and execution to every Christian in Afghanistan”, denounced Jordan Sekulow on behalf of the ECLJ.

The European Centre for Law and Justice has also published a report on the challenges faced by ex-Muslims who convert to Christianity in Europe. The publication is based on direct interviews and highlights how, even if there are no laws banning conversions in Europe, Muslims converts still face exclusion and also violent assault from their former communities.