Hungary policy of aiding persecuted Christians ‘globally unique’

The Hungarian government’s policy of supporting and aiding persecuted Christian communities is the first such government policy in the world, the deputy state secretary for aiding persecuted Christians said in Washington, DC on Wednesday.

The Hungarian government has launched a humanitarian programme whose practices are drastically different from programmes with similar goals, Tristan Azbej told an international conference.

“Our basic approach is that we speak openly about the atrocities being committed against Christians worldwide, even if this means overriding so-called political correctness,” Azbej said.

He said that Hungary provides aid directly to the communities that need it instead of sending it through middlemen such as governments or “non-transparent” international organisations.

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Azbej both asked for and offered help to those in attendance in presenting the Hungarian model to other countries and getting them to launch similar programmes.

At an evening gala event, US Vice President Mike Pence said that the US would suspend its contributions to the UN’s aid programme and would send them directly to those in need. He said President Donald Trump “sees the destruction” in the Middle East and is aware that the Islamic State terrorist organisation was responsible for the genocide there. Pence said that

since one-third of the United Nations’ more than 160 aid programmes did not serve to help persecuted Christians, the US would circumvent the organisation.

Republican Congressman Jeff Fortenberry praised Hungary’s leading role in the efforts to help Middle Eastern Christians.

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The conference organised by the non-profit human rights and advocacy group In Defence of Christians concludes on Friday.

Source: MTI