International consultation on Christian persecution – 2nd day

Hungary has a “natural obligation” to shelter and assist Christians facing persecution, deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén told a conference held on the subject in Budapest, on Friday. 

Semjén argued that Hungary was a country “with a Christian identity and linked to Christianity through its history, culture, and traditions”.

In his address, Semjén said that persecution of Christians in the world was “obvious” and insisted that four out of five people suffering because of their religion were Christians. He said that Hungary was “very generous” in terms of accommodating Christians from other countries, but added that

“the goal is not to empty the East of its Christians”.

He urged that Islamist perpetrators of the anti-Christian mass murders should be brought to trial in the Hague.

Speaking at the conference, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó called for international cooperation to “give a clear and coordinated answer to the extremism spreading in the world and forcing millions to leave their homes”.

Foreign minister Péter Szijjártó, photo: MTI

Speaking of the conference, Human Resources Minister Zoltán Balog told public television on Friday that

it is a “shame” that Western civilisation, which is based on Christianity, “is not able to protect these people”.

Hungary has already deployed over 1 billion forints (EUR 3.24m) aid to “where the trouble is”, and operates a scholarship programme which currently allows 72 students to study in Hungary, Balog noted.

As we wrote yesterday, Viktor Orbán also had a speech on the conference focusing on the persecution of Christians.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI