The plight of Christians suffering for their faith has been raised at Westminster and in the Seanad Éireann in Dublin.
Sir Edward Leigh, the longest serving MP in the House of Commons, and Irish Senator Sharon Keogan highlighted the extreme difficulties believers in Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) face.
According to Open Doors, one in seven Christians across the world now face “high levels of persecution and discrimination” for their beliefs.
During a Westminster debate on Syria, Sir Edward called on the UK Government to press the country’s new Sunni Muslim leadership to fulfil their “duty of care to all minorities”, including Christians.
He observed: “The Christian community in Syria is one of the oldest in the world. Up to the civil war, it was about 10% of the population; now, it is down to 2%.”
Christians and Alawite Muslims are under intense persecution in the coastal area of Syria, as the Sunni Salafists put in power by Western backing and Irsraeli air strikes set about the ethnic cleansing of Syria - the cradle of Christianity.
In the Seanad, reflecting on the significance of Lent, Keogan reminded the Senators that “Christians are still persecuted and discriminated against throughout the world”.
She referred to the murder of seventy Christians in the DRC at the hands of a group linked to Islamic State, and said: “Practising our faith is not something we should take for granted in a fast-changing world.”
The Open Doors annual World Watch List revealed that over 380 million Christians are suffering persecution. DCR rose six places to number 35 on the list in 2024, with 355 believers killed, churches closed, and Christian villages abandoned.