BRUSSELS: The recent reports from the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have unveiled a deeply disconcerting reality—a 44% surge in violent incidents targeting Christians across Europe in the past year, compared to 2021.
This alarming data is further magnified by a distressing escalation in arson attacks against Christian institutions, witnessing an astonishing 75% increase year-over-year. Notably, Germany alone reported 231 such attacks, highlighting the extent of this concerning trend.
Maximilian Krah, a member of the Federal Executive Board of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) and a candidate in the upcoming 2024 European election, has expressed profound concern over these findings. Krah draws attention to the paradox of a significant increase in attacks against Christians coexisting with a notably low press coverage—a situation that underscores a concerning ignorance on the part of the political and media mainstream.
Krah questions the rhetoric of tolerance, emphasizing its hollowness if it fails to extend to Christians. He raises a critical point: why the deafening silence in the face of these attacks? Krah suggests that this silence might be linked to the fact that anti-Christian attacks often stem from left-wing ideologues or those claiming to be seeking protection. In response, he asserts his party’s commitment to raising awareness of this critical issue.
This surge in violence against Christians is not an isolated phenomenon but part of a larger, disturbing trend. Earlier this year, two Syrian brothers were arrested in Germany for plotting a radical Islamist terror attack, discussing plans to blow up a fully occupied Swedish church. In March, several church-goers were killed in a mass shooting at a church in Hamburg. In January, an illegal Moroccan migrant stormed a church in Algeciras, Spain, armed with a machete, resulting in the stabbing of a priest in the neck. The assailant then targeted another church, hunting down a sacristan and delivering a fatal wound in the town square. These incidents collectively underscore the urgency of addressing and confronting the rising tide of violence against Christians in Europe.
