European Court of Justice rules people persecuted for their faith have right to apply for asylum in Europe.
Interesting:
In what could prove a landmark ruling for oppressed Christians, the European Court of Justice has ruled that people who are persecuted in their native countries due to their religion have the right to apply for asylum in Europe.
Confirming the ruling of a German court, the European Court of Justice – the highest court within the EU – decided that if a person’s right to public worship was ‘gravely infringed’ – they should be granted asylum.
Furthermore, the Court ruled that being limited to private prayer was not a legitimate alternative to the inherent right of public worship – rejecting the notion that religious minorities should limit their profile in the public sphere.
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Following the court ruling, Lord Alton told the Institute of the potential consequences: For too long European nations have continued with a policy of apathy towards the persecution of Christian minorities in distant lands. However, with the possibility of religious communities now fleeing to Europe for asylum, Western governments may finally be spurred into tackling the root cause.
UPDATE: God and Politics has blogged on this and has further details.
Roger Pearse:
September 18th, 2012 at 6:33 pm
I was just wondering if there is a single person out of the 5 billion inhabitants of the third world who is NOT entitled to “asylum” in my humble corner of the globe; to turn up here, be paid benefits, be paid “compensation” if any of us object, and so on and so forth?
Goy:
September 18th, 2012 at 6:51 pm
In hoc signo vinces†
“However, with the possibility of religious communities now fleeing to Europe for asylum, Western governments may finally be spurred into tackling the root cause.”
Is this a guessing game what exactly is the “root cause”?
European Court of Justice rules in favour of persecuted believers | God and Politics in the UK:
September 19th, 2012 at 7:36 am
[...] to Barnabas Fund and Stuart James at eChurch who have publicised the news of the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) ruling earlier this month that people who are [...]
Richard Barker:
September 19th, 2012 at 8:47 am
Many thanks for this very interesting news Stuart.
Its close juxtaposition to the mayhem in the 11 year cyclic peak of Middle Eastern conflicts (details/links at http://wp.me/p1Y1yB-1Zl) suggests we may be at the turning point for western governments’ recognition of and determination to handle correctly, if not tackle, ‘the root cause’. Let’s hope and pray so…