Ukrainian Council of Churches condemns terror against Christians in Sri Lanka and Nigeria
The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations appeals to all religious leaders in the world to condemn the preaching of religious hatred or attempts to justify crimes with feelings of religious superiority, as well as to appreciate, promote and make efforts to develop religious freedom as the only possibility of peaceful coexistence of believers of different religions.
Such statement was spread on April 23, 2019 by the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations in the context with recent terrorist attacks on Christians in Sri Lanka and cruel religious persecutions in Nigeria, the Institute for Religious Freedom reports.
IRS publish the full text of this document:
STATEMENT
of Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations
as to the persecution of Christians and the inadmissibility of religious hatred
With pain and compassion, the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations accepted the tragic news of the persecution of Christians for their beliefs. The other day, a series of terrorist attacks claimed 290 people and even more were traumatized with the explosions in Sri Lanka. It is upsetting and painful that it happened during prayer in the Christian churches.
Besides, over the past month, the number of the Christians in Nigeria who died as a result of an attack by militants blinded by religious hostility has increased to 120 people. According to some reports, thousands of Christians has been killed only over 2018 in Nigeria.
We, the religious figures of Ukraine of various denominations – Christians, Jews and Muslims – cannot stay out of the fray when religion is cynically used as an excuse for inhuman acts of terror instead of being the source of love and peace, what it actually is.
The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations appeals to all religious leaders in the world to condemn the preaching of religious hatred or attempts to justify crimes with feelings of religious superiority, as well as to appreciate, promote and make efforts to develop religious freedom as the only possibility of peaceful coexistence of believers of different religions.
The religious leaders of Ukraine reiterate the inadmissibility of any acts of violence motivated by religious hatred or other pretext, whenever they occur and whatever slogans they hide behind, as we already stated in the previous statement regarding similar tragic events in New Zealand.
The Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations expresses condolences to all the relatives of the victims of Sri Lanka and Nigeria tragedies, as well as our support for the attacked religious communities and believers, urging them not to avenge, but go on offering up their prayers for peace, forgiveness, understanding, and setting the offenders on the path of love.
