Posts Tagged ‘xenophobia’

Polish far-right ‘white Europe’ rally

Monday, November 13th, 2017

About 60,000 fascists and white supremacists marched in Warsaw on Saturday, which was Poland’s Independence Day. Although many protesters were young men, families and older people also took part in the rally. They included “neo-pagans” and Catholic groups. Others included extremists from Sweden, Hungary, Slovakia and far-right leaders like Tommy Robinson from Britain and Roberto Read more

Refugees, migrants, xenophobia and Catholics

Monday, November 6th, 2017

Migration is a complex issue that has generated xenophobia, even in traditionally Catholic countries, Pope Francis says. Speaking to an International Federation of Universities conference, Francis reflected on the conference theme “Refugees and Migrants in a Globalized World: Responsibilities and Responses of Universities”. He said there is an urgent need “to do further studies into Read more

Suspended: Polish priests protesting against refugees

Thursday, October 19th, 2017

Priests who join Poland’s anti-migrant demonstrations may want to think twice. The country’s primate, Archbishop Wojciech Polak, says if he hears of a protest against refugees “where my priests participate, I will have a swift response: each priest who joins in will be suspended. “There’s no other path to take. I am responsible for my Read more

Prayer chain or keep out sign? Polish Catholics surround border

Monday, October 9th, 2017

Thousands of Polish Catholics formed human prayer chains on the country’s borders on Saturday, begging God “to save Poland and the world”. Church leaders in Poland say the event was purely religious and “the key objective of this manifestation is to pray for peace.” During a mass celebrated on the border, the archbishop of Krakow, Read more

Hate crimes against Jews and Muslims on the rise – Trump blamed

Friday, November 18th, 2016

Hate crimes are increasing in the US. While racial attacks make up the majority of these crimes, American Jews and Muslims are the targets of an explosion in crimes against religion, according to the FBI’s new 2015 Hate Crime Statistics report. Each year the report collates hate crime statistics from law enforcement agencies across the Read more

Cardinal Marx calls for fewer refugees to come into Germany

Tuesday, February 9th, 2016

Germany’s Catholic Church has called for a reduction in the number of refugees coming into the country. The president of the German bishops’ conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, said Germany cannot “take in all the world’s needy”. The question of how to respond to the migrant crisis, he said, should not solely be a matter of Read more

Muslim superhero vs real-life Islamophobia

Friday, December 6th, 2013

When Marvel Comics announced the debut of its latest superhero — a 16-year-old Pakistani-American Muslim from Jersey City, N.J. — it was correctly seen as a positive development. Created and written by two American Muslim women, Kamala Khan (aka Ms. Marvel) holds promise. But while Khan is a comic book character, she should not become Read more

Human rights of refugees demand ‘priority’

Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

The world’s governments must give “absolute priority” to the fundamental human rights of refugees, a new Vatican document declares. The strongly worded document, entitled Welcoming Christ in Refugees and Forcibly Displaced Persons, was released jointly by the Pontifical Council for Migrants and the Pontifical Council Cor Unum. It says Catholic laity have an obligation to Read more