Chai Brady
Brendan Smith TD The “frightening” extent of Christian persecution must be a “major part” of any new Government’s foreign policy, according to Fianna Fáil’s Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Brendan Smith TD told The Irish Catholic that whatever form Ireland’s new Government takes the increasing amount of persecution against Christians around the world must be tackled.
“I think it would be preferable if the next Government adopts it as a major part of their international policy,” Mr Smith said, “I think it would be important to highlight because I know that all of us at committee, irrespective of our political belief, or political party or no party at all…it’s frightening the increasing level of abuse and persecution of Christians.
“I think that’s an issue that we need to highlight to the general public as well and it needs to be continually highlighted with our EU partners and partners in the United Nations as well.”
Mr Smith invited Church in Chains, a group dedicated to tackling Christian persecution, to an Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs to highlight “the abuse of Christians in so many countries”.
He added: “I think the issue of persecution of Christians has not been given the attention, there is not enough awareness of the huge issue of the persecution of Christians. I would sincerely hope that this will be an issue on the agenda again for the next Foreign Affairs committee.”
This comes after Mr Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Travel, Simon Coveney, in the Dáil earlier this month the outcome of discussions at recent EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings in relation to the persecution of Christians in many countries throughout the world.
Mr Coveney replied saying Ireland “strongly condemns all forms of persecution on the basis of religion or belief, irrespective of where they occur”.
“We regularly advocate for effective action to counter the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in all relevant international fora…”
The Director for Aid to the Church in Need, Dr Michael Kinsella, described his response as a “platitude”.
“What Simon Coveney said in the Dáil was a serious of thought terminating clichés. It was an insult to persecuted Christians, it was an insult to the intelligent of those who work on the ground with persecuted Christians.”
He added: “The vast majority of people who suffer persecution are Christian. There is very little specialness, or sense of a unique case of what’s happening to persecuted Christians that comes through in Simon Coveney’s words.”