By Matters Indian Reporter
Budapest, November 28, 2019: As many as 650 delegates, including some Indians, attended the Second International Conference on Christian Persecution in Budapest, Hungary.
The November 26-28 conference was to find solutions to the most neglected humanitarian and civilizational crisis of the time and stand up against Christian persecution, and defend the roots of Christian civilization.
Beyond raising international awareness, the primary aim of the conference is to foster closer cooperation between governments, governmental and non-governmental organizations and other actors concerned, say the program information.
Only through the coordination of resources and efforts and through joint endeavor is it possible to defend beleaguered Christian communities living in crisis regions from the ever wider phenomenon of religious persecution and to support their return to their homelands.
Some of the key speakers during the conference are Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto in Nigeria Matthew Hassan Kukah, State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians and the Hungary Helps Program, Prime Minister’s Office Tristan Azbej, Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East Gewargis III, and Head of the Evangelical Community of Syria and Lebanon; General Secretary of the National Evangelical Synod of Syria and Lebanon Rev. Joseph Kassab.
Other speakers and participants are senior church leaders, dignitaries including government officials from USA, Poland, Lebanon, European Union, Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Slovak Republic, Brazil, Nigeria, Jordan, and the Vatican.
Office of the Prime Minister of Hungary is organizer of the event.
Delegates also include Christian leaders and representatives from think tanks and charities are attending the conference.
The first conference was held in Budapest in 2017.
According to research, over 245 million people around the world are being discriminated against or are being persecuted because of their Christian faith and over 4,100 Christians were murdered in related incidents in 2016.