by Obianuju Mbah, Christian Today
A Christian watchdog has reported a rise in anti-Christian hate crimes against churches and other Christian sites across Europe, with arson, vandalism and desecration among the incidents recorded during February.
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) said it documented 34 anti-Christian hate crimes during the month, including 11 arson attacks.
The total was higher than in January, which had already marked an unusually high number of incidents.
The organisation said February’s cases included 17 incidents of vandalism, 11 fire-related events, three desecrations, two incidents involving the theft of holy objects, and one case of violent assault on Christians taking part in a public event.
France, Italy and Germany recorded the highest numbers of incidents, with seven cases each in France and Italy, and six in Germany.
Additional incidents were reported in the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland and Greece, while further cases were also logged in the UK and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The group said one of the clearest trends in February was the persistence of arson attacks, including an incident in Loiret, France, where the altar of a parish church was deliberately set alight.
In the Dutch town of Ede, three churches were damaged in separate fires in the space of five days, prompting heightened concern over repeated targeting of Christian sites.