Danger follows Christian refugees to Germany
(WNS)–The situation of Christian refugees in German shelters is “unbearable” according to an updated report released in October and co-authored by Open Doors Germany. The report documents 743 cases of discrimination, death threats, and physical assaults against Christians by Muslim refugees between February and May of this year and claims the findings are only “the tip of the iceberg.” The study also highlights the challenges of reporting about religiously motivated attacks. European politicians have cultivated a climate with two extremes: Much of the political and media establishment ignores or whitewashes attacks carried out by Muslim refugees under the guise of political correctness, while the far-right wants to exploit the statistics for its own political gain. Open Doors said those risks should not lead to silence: “The human right of religious freedom and protection of victims in a country like Germany—that is a constant admonisher of human rights abuses on an international scale—should not be sacrificed for political objectives or the interests of individual groups.”
Canadian court: Law society must accept Christian attorneys
(WNS)–The Law Society of British Columbia must recognize Trinity Western University’s (TWU) future law school graduates, according to a unanimous opinion the British Columbia (B.C.) Court of Appeals issued Nov. 1. “The TWU community has a right to hold and act on its beliefs, absent evidence of actual harm,” a five-judge panel wrote. “To do so is an expression of its right to freedom of religion.” The decision is the latest chapter in TWU’s years-long battle to open Canada’s first Christian law school. In December 2013 the provincial law society approved the university’s plans, but a 2014 members referendum revoked it over concerns that the TWU community covenant—which holds students to orthodox Christian behavioral standards, including heterosexual marriage—is discriminatory. The B.C. appeals court ruled it was the law society that discriminated.
Nigeria appoints women to police refugee camps
(WNS)–Nigeria’s police force has deployed 100 female officers to camps for internally displaced people across the northeastern Borno state after Human Rights Watch reported camp officials sexually abused some residents. Damian Chukwu, Borno’s commissioner of police, said 100 policewomen will now handle daily interactions with displaced people in the camps, while male officers will only deal with territorial coverage and patrol. A separate committee will handle the camp’s security, Chukwu said. Human Rights Watch in its report last month documented rape and abuse cases of 43 women and girls in camps across the state. Some of the women said government and security officials falsely promised them financial assistance and marriage in exchange for sexual favors. Chukwu said the different police units stationed across the camps did not receive any reports of abuse prior to the report, but many of the women and girls said they feared retaliation should they speak up about their attacks.
Irish court: Christian bakers must bake pro-gay cake
(WNS)–A Northern Ireland appeals court ruled Oct. 24 against a Christian-run bakery convicted of discrimination for refusing to bake a cake supporting gay marriage. The ruling by a three-judge panel upholds a 2015 decision by a lower court finding Ashers Baking Company guilty of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. In 2014, the bakery declined a customer’s request for a cake picturing Sesame Street’s Bert and Ernie and the slogan “Support Gay Marriage.” The customer, backed by Northern Ireland’s Equality Commission, sued the bakery, a Belfast-based business with nine storefronts owned and run by the McArthur family. A county judge ruled against Ashers and fined the family £500 ($615). The McArthurs appealed, and were again defeated.
