UN conference in Geneva – Hungarian foreign minister: Christian communities ‘most threatened’

Budapest/Geneva, March 7 (MTI) – Eighty percent of murders tied to religion across the world are Christians, which makes Christianity “the most threatened” religious community, the Hungarian foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a UN conference held in Geneva, Péter Szijjártó told MTI by phone that “for some hypocritical reason the western world will not acknowledge this, and measures to protect Christian communities have not been taken”.

Hungary rejects the idea of “anti-Christianity as the last acceptable form of discrimination”, Szijjarto said, adding that the Hungarian government is committed to fighting anti-Christian manifestations and the persecution of Christians.

Szijjártó said that relocating threatened communities was “no option” and insisted that they must be ensured “the opportunity of a safe return and life”. He also called for perpetrators of crimes against Christians to be prosecuted, and said that the United Nations should provide “administrative zones” in which Christians could return to their homes.

The Geneva conference was organised by Armenia, Lebanon, Russia and the Vatican, with input from Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia and Spain, as co-organisers.

On the sidelines of the conference, Szijjártó also met Archbishop Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as World Trade Organisation head Roberto Azevedov.

Photo: Árpád Szabó

Source: MTI