Scottish Parliamentarian pledges solidarity with persecuted Christians

Dave Thompson MSP

Scottish Parliament member Dave Thompson has endorsed a campaign of solidarity with persecuted Christians organised by Aid to the Church in Need in Scotland.

The Scottish National Party representative for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch pledged his support for ACN's Solidarity Campaign which - at a time of increased Christian persecution around the world - is calling on Scots to defend religious freedom.

By signing the pledge, the Member of the Scottish Parliament agreed to raise the issue of Christian persecution in Parliament, pray for Christians who suffer for their faith and keep informed by following ACN on social media.

In a statement to ACN, the MSP, whose constituency includes Loch Ness, said: "It was great to welcome Michael Robinson of Aid to the Church in Need to the Parliament and stand in solidarity with Christians who are persecuted, whilst also recognising the duty of Christians to offer the hand of friendship to oppressed people of all faiths at home and abroad."

ACN Scotland launched the Solidarity Campaign for schools on 11th June 2015 during its Scottish Youth Rally, which attracted more than 1,000 young people from across Scotland.

Describing the charity's Solidarity Campaign, Lorraine McMahon, ACN Head of Operations in Scotland, said: "Aid to the Church in Need recognises that religious freedom is a human right and as such we are asking all of Scotland, not just religious people, to pledge their support."

Of particular concern to ACN is the situation in the Middle East where Daesh (ISIS), has carried out killings and abductions. Local bishops estimate that before 2003, there were up to 1.5 million Christians living in Iraq. Fewer than 300,000 remain today.

Michael Robinson, Communication Executive in Scotland for ACN said: "Christians, the most persecuted faith group, are being driven out of parts of Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. Extremist groups like Daesh and Boko Haram pose a very serious threat to the very existence of Christianity in these regions."

Ms McMahon added: "The Solidarity Campaign aims to raise awareness in Parliament, in the media and among the general public about the existence and scale of Christian persecution worldwide. In Scotland we are very fortunate to have religious freedom - we have a voice - please use it now and make a difference and join ACN."