All cases

Study Reveals Discomfort of Parents on Religious Freedom in Schools

February 16, 2009, France

67% of French Catholic parents say that public schools do not respect the freedom of conscience of their children.

Cemetery Targeted For The Third Time in Maine-et-Loire

February 16, 2009, France

For the third time in less than a year, the cemetery of Saint-Laurent-des-Autels was vandalized on Sunday, February 14th, 2009. This time, tags were found on graves and on the door of the church. In the cemetery, one could see swastikas on trees.

School Receptionist Faces Dismissal over Prayer Request

February 12, 2009, United Kingdom

A five-year-old girl was reprimanded for talking about her faith at school and her mother, Jennie Cain, who worked part-time at her daughter’s school, was investigated for professional misconduct and faced disciplinary action. The school has settled out of court.

Christian Bookshop Vandalized

February 12, 2009, Turkey

On the 7th and 12th of February 2009, two youths vandalized the Soz Kitapevi bookshop of the Turkish Bible Society in the city of Adana. The aggressors are suspected to be Muslim militants.

(BBC) Pro-lifers Portrayed as Murderous Terrorists in Broadcast

February 10, 2009, International

BBC repeats the screening of a drama depicting pro life campaigners as murderous terrorists.

Christian Carer Struck Off

February 8, 2009, United Kingdom

A Christian foster carer has been struck off because she allowed a Muslim child in her care to convert to Christianity.

(Internet) Video Mocks Catholicism

February 3, 2009, International

The film producing company Link TV placed a video online which mocks Catholicism. The short silent video shows a weird priest descreting the Eucharist, a most sacred item for Catholics.

Nurse Suspended for Offering Prayer to a Patient

February 2, 2009, United Kingdom

A nurse was suspended from work without pay for having asked a patient whether she wanted prayer. The nurse has been reinstated after public protests.

London Homelessness Prevention Officer Suspended for Mentioning Faith

January 29, 2009, United Kingdom

A homelessness prevention officer with Wandsworth Council has been suspended from work for nearly two months for encouraging a homeless woman with an incurable medical condition to look to God for help.

Church Vandalized in Rugles (Normandy)

January 29, 2009, France

The tabernacle was forced opened, the chalice was stolen and some of the hosts were thrown to the ground. The parish priests Florent Babaka and Philippe Besnard reported the incident to the police.

Defamation in Art Exhibition

January 27, 2009, Italy

The justice department allowed the display of a crucified figure of Christ adorned with a papal tiara, as part of a contemporary art exhibit in Bologna.

30 Graves Damaged in Champlitte

January 27, 2009, France

About 30 graves were damaged, crossse were broken or thrown to the ground. In the chapel next to the cemetery, stain-glass windows were broken and the door was damaged.

Catholic Nun Offended in Sarajevo.

January 21, 2009, Bosnia and Herzegovina

A man forcibly tried to take of a nun’s veil in Sarajevo on January 21st, 2009.

(Scotland) Christian Radio Presenter Sacked

January 11, 2009, United Kingdom

Muslim Radio sacks Christian presenter after six years of cooperation.

Government Cuts Funding of Christian Foundation on Grounds of Contents

January 10, 2009, Netherlands

The Dutch goverment ceases its annual 50.000 Euro grant to the Christan Foundation "Onze Weg". The reason is that the foundation teaches that homosexuality can be healed.

Home for Retired Missionaries Loses Funding on Gay Issues in Questionaire

January 9, 2009, United Kingdom

Brighton Council requests care home for elderly Christians to ask its residents about their sexual orientation and cuts funding when rejected.

(California) Catholic Church Vandalized by Gays

January 5, 2009, United States

A Catholic Church in San Francisco was vandalized by gays as a response to a public vote on gay marriage

Christian Teacher Suspended For Disagreeing With Gay Issues At Training

January 2, 2009, United Kingdom

Christian teacher suspended pending a disciplinary investigation after disagreeing with and complaining about the way a staff training session promoted homosexuality.

Profanation of Cemeteries

January 1, 2009, France

Several cases are reported on profanations of cemeteries as well as desecrations of churches and Christian holy objects in France.

Alternative Synod of Bulgarian Orthodox Church Troubled by Government

January 1, 2009, Bulgaria

The Bulgarian government confiscated church properties with police force and violence. European Court of Human Rights rules in favor of Alternative Synod of Bulgarian Orthodox Church.

Text Book Promotes Religious Discrimination

December 31, 2008, Turkey

A mandatory school text book on the History of Turkish Republican Reforms and Atatürkism for 13-year-old students encourages religious discrimination in Turkey. The book explains missionary activity “as a threat to national unity," annihilating national and cultural values through converting people to another religion.

Overview of 266 Cases of Anti-Christian Vandalism in 2008

December 31, 2008, France

According to the French Internal Affairs Department 266 acts of vandalism targeted Christian sites in 2008. Please find a list of examples here.

Evangelicals Defamed by Government Agency

December 29, 2008, Germany

The governmental agency ‘Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung’ (Federal Central Unit of Political Education) defames evangelicals as hostile to constitution.

(/Scotland) Kirk Minister Battered on Christmas Day

December 25, 2008, United Kingdom

A Church of Scotland minister was attacked by a gang of youths on Christmas Day. Reverend Gordon MacKenzie was taking a walk when he was jumped on from behind by a trio of youths he had just passed. He was knocked to the ground by blows about the head and body, then kicked and punched as he was lying on the floor. Revd MacKenzie required hospital treatment for a broken nose, a broken tooth and various injuries to the hand, face and body.

Christmas References Banned in Oxford

December 24, 2008, United Kingdom

References to Christmas were banned in Oxford and Christmas festivities renamed "Winter Light celebrations" to be "more inclusive. Protests come from Christians, Muslims, and Jews.

Church Set On Fire for the Third Time in Hamburg

December 21, 2008, Germany

Offenders set fire to a church; the third one in two months. The sacristy of the church St. Bernard was completely burned out.

Aramaic Christians Under Great Pressure

December 19, 2008, Turkey

Aramaic Lawyer David Gelen reveals in an interview with German daily, "Die Welt," the pressures Turkish authorities have placed on the Christian Aramaic minorities.

Fire Set in Catholic Church

December 11, 2008, Belgium

A Greek-Melkite parish was set on fire the night of Friday 12 December. Pastor could quickly contain and limit the damage.

Muslim Converts to Christianity Live in Fear

December 2, 2008, International

Several reports prove fear of Muslim converts to Christianity in Europe.

Court Orders the Removal of Crucifixes from a School

November 27, 2008, Spain

The European Public Laity Association (Asociación Estatal Europa Laica) has requested a court order to remove crucifixes and religious symbols from Macías Picavea school in Valladolid. The Administrative Tribunal 2 of Valladolid agreed with the plaintiffs, and issued an order to take away every religious symbol from classrooms and common-use rooms. The Tribunal said that religious symbols violated the fundamental rights of equality and freedom of conscience as enshrined in articles 14 and 16.1 of the Spanish Constitution. The Tribunal has not made any mention to the fact that religious symbols placed outside a church also have a civil, historic, and cultural value.

(Michigan) Gays Storm Church

November 12, 2008, United States

A band of about 30 gays stormed a church in Lansing, Michigan. shouting “Jesus was a homo”, etc. The church was vandalized, obscenities were shouted and worshippers were confronted.

No Plaque for Catholic Saint on House of Birth

November 1, 2008, Spain

Saint Maravillas de Jesus was born in a house which is now the local Spanish parliament of Valladoid. A plaque with a commemorative inscription was declined on behalf of left wing parties.

Two Jesuit Priests in Moscow Found Brutally Murdered in their Apartment

October 28, 2008, Russia

Two Jesuit priests were murdered brutally in Moscow. Jesuit Fathers Otto Messmer, 47, and Victor Betancourt, 42, were found dead late Oct. 28 in their Moscow apartment.

Religion Professor Under Cancer Therapy Suffers Discrimination

October 18, 2008, Spain

Francisco Javier Romero, a religion professor in Sevilla on sick leave because of cancer treatment, claimed discrimination with regard to finding a substitute teacher by a more difficult procedure. When he asked why he was given a different treatment respect to other professors on sick leave, he was told "because you are a Catholic Religion teacher".

New Law Curbs Religious Elements in Schools

October 15, 2008, Sweden

(2008/2009) Sweden curbs the influence of religion in private confessional schools in a move to "prevent the spread of fundamentalism". Law entered into force in the beginning of 2009.

(Internet) Host Desecration Videos Online

September 30, 2008, International

Several videos have been put online showing the Eucharistic Host, most sacred for Catholics, being desecrated by being stepped on, burned, stapled, smoked and nailed to a stick. After severe protests, YouTube removed the videos on Oct 2nd.

Counterdemonstrations Disturbed Silent pro Life Vigil in Berlin

September 30, 2008, Germany

People with pro life convictions from all over Germany met on September 20th for a manifestation in Berlin. Their silent manifestation was interrupted by about 50 demonstrators throwing confetti unto them and chanting slogans such as: “If Mary had had an abortion, we would have been spared you guys!”, and “Communism instead of Jesus Christ”. During a religious service, two women denuded themselves and showed on the upper parts of their bodies a reversed cross.

Christians Arrested During Prayer

September 27, 2008, Turkey

Soldiers arrested a priest and more than 20 Christians in a Turkish Province during prayer. The Christian community wanted to hold a religious service in this region. When the Christians started to distribute sweets to the children and Bibles to the adults the security forces intervened and arrested them.

Writer and BBC Guest is Not Longer Welcome by the Media Corporation

September 25, 2008, United Kingdom

Rev Graham P Taylor, author of the best-seller Shadowmancer, sometimes called the new C. S. Lewis, said the BBC does not welcome him anymore because he could be seen as promoting Christianity. Taylor, a parish priest who signed a £3.5 million contract to publish Shadowmancer claims that the relationship with the BBC went well "until they realised that there were religious allegories in my stories".

Pro Choice Poster Calls for Violence against Catholics and Pro Lifers

September 23, 2008, Austria

Posters were placed illegally all over the city of Salzburg calling for violence against people praying in front of an abortion clinic. The posters displayed a panda kicking Andreas Laun, the auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Salzburg. In bold letters the posters stated: “Kick opponents of abortion (off the sidewalk)”.

Christian Sexual Education Jeopardized by Government

September 16, 2008, Austria

The government of Austria reinforces guidelines for sexual education that jeopardize the teaching of authentic Christian sexual values. The guidelines extend to classes of religious education.

College Removes Christmas and Easter from Calendar

September 16, 2008, United Kingdom

Yorkshire Coast College renamed its school breaks without reference to Christian holidays in an effort to ensure diversity- Christmas and Easter no longer appear on the college’s calendar.

Street Preacher Asked to Stop Activity

September 15, 2008, United Kingdom

The St Edmundsbury Borough Council told open air preacher, Brian Dee, who had been preaching in the marketplace in Bury St Edmunds for over 10 years, that he was not allowed, under a local bye-law aimed at reducing litter, to distribute tracts. A strongly worded letter was sent to the Council warning that Mr Dee had a right to preach and distribute tracts and if the Council continued to interfere with his rights legal action would be taken. The Council backed down conceding that there was no evidence that Mr Dee had caused a litter problem and accepted that he could continue preaching and distributing tracts.

Amnesty International Supports Anti-Catholic Bigotry During Gay Pride Belfast

September 11, 2008, United Kingdom

Amnesty International participated this year in the homosexualist movement's efforts to insult and vilify the Catholic Church during the Belfast gay pride festival in August. Amnesty's Belfast director has admitted that the group was using the Belfast Pride event to caricature the Cardinal Archbishop of Riga, Janis Pujats, who has spoken out strongly against the homosexualist movement's efforts in Latvia.

Trades Union Congress Calls for Christian to Be Sacked from Equality and Human Right Commission

September 10, 2008, United Kingdom

The Trades Union Congress (TUC), a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, has issued a call for the removal of a Christian Equality and Human Rights Commissioner. Joel Edwards is the director of the Evangelical Alliance and a figure loathed by homosexualist activists for his forthright calls for a re-insertion of Christian morals in public life and defence of the rights of Christians who oppose the homosexualist political agenda.

Christian Children Must Attend Islamic Religious Education

September 1, 2008, Turkey

(Ongoing) In Turkey, Christian children must attend Islamic religious education.

Birmingham Street Preacher Awarded £4,250 in Damages After Being Wrongly Arrested and Handcuffed by Police

September 1, 2008, United Kingdom

In summer 2008 Anthony Rollins, a street preacher in Birmingham, was arrested after expressing the Bible’s teaching on same-sex relationships. On December 8th 2010, he was awarded £4,250 in damages.

Franciscan Monks Cruely Beaten

August 28, 2008, Italy

Unidentified hooded men attacked four Franciscan monks in their monastary in Turin. All four were hospitalized.

Town Hall Members Asked to Fast During Ramadan

August 7, 2008, United Kingdom

The members of Tower Hamlets Council in East London received an email asking them to observe restrictions implemented during Ramadan. Among these measures, Town Hall meetings were reduced and prayers were included in the evening in observance of the "holy month".

Comedian Insults Pope

August 1, 2008, Italy

At a Rome rally a comedian insults pope saying in 20 years he would be in hell tormented by homosexual deamons.