Government and Mission Society in pilot project

Historic initiative to ease religious tension in the Middle East.

The Danish government has given Danmission €200,000 for a pilot project to improve co-operation between Christian and Muslim opinion-makers in countries where Christians are being persecuted. The government’s development spokesman, Karsten Lauritzen, says that religion is the key to democracy and peace in the Middle East and that constant dialogue is needed to remove prejudice and stop persecution.

 

A “historic step”
General Secretary of the Danish Europamission, Henrik Ertner Rasmussen, believes that there is a growing awareness in the Danish church about persecuted Christians, and that the time has come for action. He says, “The Foreign Ministry has reacted to our request with this initiative: sometimes it pays to keep knocking on the politicians’ doors.”

 

Viggo Mortensen, Professor of Theology at Aarhus University adds: “This is a historic step – to have a mission society with a political sponsor and a political agenda. Until now such societies have been borne by voluntary Christians preaching the gospel and hoping for conversions, but religion has become so much part of the agenda now that governments do not have the resources to meet the many challenges.”

 

Greater pressure needed
There is also widespread parliamentary support for initiatives that bring greater pressure to bear on Middle Eastern and North African countries where Christians are being persecuted. In their worldwide assessment the Christian organisation Open Door speaks of 100 million victims of discrimination in some form or other.

 

Danmission’s Jonas Norgaard Mortensen, who is responsible for the dialogue project, acknowledges this “historic recognition of the role of religion in foreign policy. It’s extraordinary that a secular government is integrating religion as a central part of the work for democracy. For better for worse religion is a determining social factor that we need to have on the side of democracy and peace. An example of what can be achieved is the reconciliation in South Africa. Religion is incredibly important to people in the Middle East and is therefore the key to the future of the region.”

Photo: iStockphoto.com

By: Edward Broadbridge

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