Casa rebukes EU High Representative over ‘persecution’ of Christians

Nationalist MEP David Casa lambasted the “excessive” political correctness of EU Foreign Affairs Chief Catherine Ashton and the failure of member states to agree on a resolution condemning the attacks on Christian minorities in Egypt and Iraq over the Christmas period.

EU foreign affairs ministers last Monday discussed the attacks on the initiative of Italian Minister Franco Frattini but could not agree on the exact wording of a resolution because some member states, backed by Baroness Ashton, refused to refer specifically to Christians and not to other faiths, deeming it politically incorrect.

Mr Casa condemned the wrangling and accused Baroness Ashton of failing to understand who she represents.

“We have become incapable of condemning attacks on our fellow Christians. What a sad day for Europe,” he exclaimed.

The matter was also raised by the European bishops who criticised the lack of action by the EU.

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) said yesterday it “very much regrets” the ministers’ failure to agree on a joint declaration condemning “religious persecution”.

“COMECE wonders about this wavering since public opinion in Europe has already become aware of the particular situation of Christians in the Middle East after the recent attacks on churches in Iraq and Egypt.

“The recent attacks against Christians are not isolated cases. Statistics on religious freedom in recent years show that the majority of acts of religious violence are perpetrated against Christians,” the European bishops said.

They said the commitment of the EU to stand for fundamental rights and religious freedom was clearly stated in the EU Treaty and in the charter of fundamental rights and had been reaffirmed in many declarations.

“We now expect the EU will take concrete measures to turn these general principles into significant political action.”

This is the second time in a few weeks the EU has been rebuked over its lack of action to defend the Christian faith, the dominant religion in the bloc.

European Commissioner John Dalli had to make a public apology last month for the omission of Christian festivities in an EU diary distributed to thousands of schools in the EU. Mr Dalli promised changes to the diary in the following years, pointing out it had been published in that format in previous years.