Vienna discussed the problems of discrimination and intolerance against Christians

The day before, a conference was held to prevent and combat intolerance and discrimination against Christians with an emphasis on crimes on the basis of hatred, exclusion from society, marginalization and infringement of rights.

According to the Patriarchy.ru portal, in the conference held by the OSCE Bureau for democratic institutions and human rights, representatives of the OSCE participants, religious communities and other non -governmental organizations took part. Among the speakers at the meeting were the chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate Department on the relationship between the Church and Society, a member of the OSCE Consulting Council on the issues of religion or beliefs, Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, head of the inter -religious contacts of the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Priest Dimitri Safonov, Deputy Chairman of the Imperial Orthodox Society of Elena Elena Agapova.

Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin touched on a number of problems that are experienced by Christian communities in the OSCE region - desecrating objects and symbols revered by Christians, the language of enmity in relation to Christians, aggressive challenges from militant secularism, "intolerance in the name of tolerance." According to the speaker, these problems arose primarily because many would not like the restoration and strengthening of the influence of Christians on social processes.

In this regard, the priest recalled that in Article 4 of the declarations for the liquidation of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or beliefs adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1981, it says: “All states should take effective measures to prevent and eliminate discrimination based on religion or belief in the recognition, implementation and implementation of human rights and basic freedoms in all regions of civilian, economic, political, social and cultural life. "

“Very often,” said Vsevolod Chaplin, “Christianophobia and the language of hatred in relation to Christians are manifested when Christians declare and realize their right to participate in social processes.”

"They have such a right to exactly the same extent as supporters of materialism, socialism, capitalism, environmental thinking, conservatism, liberalism, any other philosophical or political doctrine. In most modern legal systems of the worldview are equal, which means that their carriers must have equal opportunities for influence on society, to determine its future, its structure, nature and structure. Many Christians believe that they believe that they believe They are called upon to fully and decisively influence any processes taking place in the field of social, economic, cultural life .

The speaker called for the system analysis of the problems related to discrimination and intolerance against Christians, and to the adoption by states - participants in the OSCE obligations to resolve these problems.

Anatoly Viktorov, Director of the Department of Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, emphasized in his speech: “Starting with the previous High -level OSCE conference in Rome in 2011, the organization has increased that Christianity, its shrines and followers are subjected to persecution, violence, persecution and on the space of the OSCE. Moreover. Discrimination is found even in those OSCE participants where Christians make up the majority. "

"Among such manifestations are attacks on the clergy, counteracting religious events, the destruction and desecration of Christian churches and cemeteries, attempts to eliminate religious symbols from public places, infringing on the freedom of expression of Christians, discrimination in economic life and other areas. The number of vandalistic exits, thefts, thefts of Christian values ​​and objects of cultural are growing Heritage, under the cover of freedom of expression, allow themselves to openly mock Christian values.

"An not the last role in the growth of these negative trends was played by aggressive Western neoliberalism and the militant secularism, aimed at undermining the spiritual, moral and traditional foundations of society. In addition, distortions in the implementation of the policy of multiculturalism against the background of growing immigration led to the role and significance of Christianity in the historical process of the formation of common European values ​​that served as the foundation of the foundation European integration, ”concluded Viktorov.

Priest Dimitri Safonov cited a number of facts of violation of the rights of believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church: captures of temples by schismatics, pressure on priests and others. He also pointed out the difficult position of Christians in the Middle East and North Africa, urging the OSCE to protect the rights of Christians with the priority of his activity and take into account the situation of Christians when building relations with the countries of this region.

Agapova also attracted the attention of Christians gathered to the sufferings in the Middle East, in North Africa, as well as in the southeastern regions of Ukraine.