Appeal to churches and the German Federal Government

On the occasion of the first Sunday of Advent, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) calls on the German Federal Government, the democratic parties, and the large churches in Germany to show more commitment for Christian communities and to strengthen religious freedom.

“In 2024, the situation of Christians has not improved in many places. On the contrary, in many countries – such as North Korea, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Saudi-Arabia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Nigeria – Christian communities are facing increasing violence. It is especially radical Shiite or Sunni Islamists who are threatening the religious freedom of Christians and religious minorities such as the Yazidis, Bahá’í, Mandaeans, and Jews,” warned Dr. Kamal Sido, the STP’s Middle East Consultant, in Göttingen today.

“One of the reasons for the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities is the fanaticism and intolerance of Islamist governments, militias, and other groups. They don’t want people of different faiths to be free to practice their beliefs or even to choose another faith. In Iran, for example, the number of Christian converts is growing. They are massively persecuted by the Mullah regime,” the human rights activist reported.

“The situation of the Kurdish Christians from Afrin is precarious as well. Around 1,200 of them have been living in tents in refugee camps ever since the Turkish army and Islamist mercenaries drove them out of their homes in 2018. They will celebrate Christmas in barracks in no man’s land in the north-west of Syria. There, too, they are attacked by Turkey almost every day – also with fighter drones,” the STP’s Middle East Consultant stated.

“In Iraq, the number of Christians continues to decline. Because of the isolation of Western Europe, the movement of refugees had slowed down recently – but many members of religious minorities are still planning to leave their homes,” Sido explained. Estimates regarding the number of Christians still living in Iraq vary significantly – between 150,000 and 275,000 – in contrast to 1.5 million people 40 years ago. A census that started in November 2024 could soon provide more accurate figures.

“Christians in Arab-Islamic countries look to Germany with great hope, because religious freedom is a fundamental and human right that is enshrined in all key international conventions and declarations as well as in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany,” explained the human rights activist, who was born in Syria. “This year’s visit of German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Egypt together with Bishop Anba Damian, a dignitary of the Coptic Church, was a positive sign for the Christians in Egypt and for the entire Arabic-Islamic world. However, it must not stop at mere gestures. The German Federal Government should show lasting commitment to the rights of Christians all over the world,” Sido demanded.