Free world has duty to defend religious expression: Dodds

DUP MEP Diane Dodds has said that raising awareness of persecution against Christians has never been more important after attending the launch of the Open Doors World Watch List for 2017 in the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Commenting after the event, Mrs Dodds said:

'For many years, the Open Doors World Watch List 2017 has been a vital tool in highlighting the extent of persecution against Christians across the world. I was therefore pleased to be able to attend and again place on record my support for the persecuted church alongside MEPs from across Europe.

It is perhaps not surprising, but utterly deplorable, that North Korea remains the most dangerous place on earth to live as a Christian. Worldwide, Open Doors suggests that over 200 million Christians living in the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian experience high levels of persecution. These statistics are extremely alarming.

The Report indicates that 53% of the world's refugees come from Somalia, Afghanistan and Syria - numbers two, three and six the World Watch List. We should not forget that all too often political instability leaves Christians and other minority faiths living in these societies at the coal face of rising conflict and division.

Despite these horrors, one of the untold stories in recent years has been the rapid growth of churches in many countries across the globe. For this reason alone, we in the free world have a duty to continue highlighting instances of persecution in order to safeguard a future full of faith but free of fear for our Christian friends across the world.'