Faith comes in many forms

Recognizing the importance of assisting victims of religious persecution is extremely important. That is why, on August 22, we observe International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Beliefs.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said, “This is a great opportunity to raise awareness about religious intolerance, and violence and discrimination against anyone based on their religion or belief” (ohchr.org).

Christianpost.com states that one in three people suffer from religious persecutions. Christians are the most persecuted, facing persecution in 143 countries. Worldwide, Muslims and Jews face religious persecution as well. Muslims confront persecution in 140 countries while Jews face persecution in 87 countries.

Many nations placed restrictions on certain belief systems. On May 28, 2019 the United Nations passed a resolution designating August 22 as International Day of Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Beliefs. According to National Day Calendar, the resolution was passed after attacks on mosques in New Zealand and churches in Sri Lanka.  Jacek Czaputowicz, Poland’s foreign minister introduced the resolution, which was later supported by a handful of counties including the United States, Brazil, Canada, Pakistan, Iraq, and Jordan. These countries realized the amount of violence against people of faith had been rising and wanted to do something about it.

A way to observe International Day of Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Beliefs is to learn about different religions, either through research of books and videos or having conversations with people about their religion. You can also donate to local churches, mosques, or synagogues, or watch movies that help you understand other faiths.