Across Europe, there has been a growing rise in attacks on churches. Countries like France and Germany have seen a spike in violent vandalism, desecrating cherished churches and Christian symbols in recent months and years.
According to the German news site PI-News, every day in France, two churches are desecrated. They report 1,063 attacks on Christian churches or symbols like crucifixes, icons, and statues in France in 2018 which was a 17 percent increase from the year before.
This comes as St Simon’s Church in Glasgow came under attack yesterday with pictures posted on the church’s Facebook page showing the damage, which included a broken Jesus statue.
According to reports The Police are investigating but officers said there was no indication to suggest the incident was sectarian or a hate crime.
A post on the Archdiocese of Glasgow Facebook page said: “Whatever the motive this is a shameful attack on a much loved church. Let’s help find those responsible. This kind of activity is unacceptable.”
It is difficult to ascertain information on who is behind these attacks. Looking at the perpetrators of the attacks in France a large number have actually been militant secularists and also many with mental health problems who target sites of Christianity.
However there are other perpetrators and according to The Christian Broadcasting Network:
The German media reports the growing anti-Christian sentiment is believed to be a result of increased Muslim migration. In 2016, after the arrival of close to a million Muslims in Germany, a local newspaper reported “not a day goes by” that attacks on religious statues did not happen in the town of Dülmen.
And in France studies show the attacks on churches have increased as the number of Muslim migrants has increased. A January 2017 study stated, “Islamist extremist attacks on Christians” in France rose by 38 percent, going from 273 attacks in 2015 to 376 in 2016; the majority occurred during Christmas season and “many of the attacks took place in churches and other places of worship.”
In 2016, CBN News reported on three “radicalized” women who were plotting to bomb Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Police found a car loaded with at least six gas canisters near the church. One of the females was found guilty of encouraging other potential jihadists to perform attacks in Syria and France as well.
Whilst we await the outcomes of the inquiry into the Notre Dame fire it has been a visual reminder that across Europe many churches are in flames and that attacks continue to grow rapidly in number causing massive concern for Religious Freedoms.
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Lead Correspondent | David Clews is the Lead Correspondent for UNN, with over 20 years of political/campaigning experience and a wealth of social media and communication skills David gets to the heart of what is really important to the real people of the UK.
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