Responding to the Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians, Marie van der Zyl, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said:
“We welcome the timely publication of this review by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Nobody could have failed to be horrified by the recent murders of Christians gathered for prayer in Sri Lanka on Easter morning. Many will be asking what the world has come to, when the simple act of gathering for prayer, whether at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, at mosques in New Zealand or at churches in Sri Lanka, qualifies people as targets for attack.
“It is intolerable and we cannot allow it to become normal. As Jews, who have often been the targets of persecution, we feel for the victims, and for Christians around the World suffering serious – and often violent – discrimination on the basis of their faith. Whether it is in authoritarian regimes, or bigotry masked in the mistaken guise of religion, reports like the one launched today remind us that there are many places in which Christians face appalling levels of violence, abuse and harassment.
“We commend the FCO’s renewed focus on the topic of persecuted Christians. In this important mission, Christians and all persecuted groups can count on the full support of the Board of Deputies of British Jews.”