Since the end of 2016, Hungary has had a State Secretariat in charge of helping persecuted Christians.
Currently, Tristan Azbej holds the position.
His work gives him a privileged perspective on this drama that affects millions of people.
TRISTAN AZBEJ
Hungarian State Secretariat for the Aid of Persecuted Christians (Hungary)
“Christianity is the most-persecuted religion in the world. Today there are more than 245 million people who are suffering innocently from discrimination genocidal attacks because of their Christian faith.”
One of the priorities of his department is to form an international coalition of countries willing to help those persecuted, marginalized or people who are insulted for being Christians.
TRISTAN AZBEJ
Hungarian State Secretariat for the Aid of Persecuted Christians (Hungary)
“It should be addressed on the international level, yet there is a wall of silence around this issue. So our establishment of dedicated department of 'Aid to Persecuted Christians,' and starting the 'Hungary Helps program,' a humanitarian assistance program to aid them is also a political message to the rest of the world. We are trying to recruit other governments and international organizations to come to the help of this, of this crowd of suffering people.”
Much of his work is to help Christians in their countries, so that no one will have to escape his or her homeland for religious reasons.
His department already works in seven countries in the Middle East and Africa. In Syria and Iraq, it has rebuilt hospitals and schools, open places for people of all religions.
TRISTAN AZBEJ
Hungarian State Secretariat for the Aid of Persecuted Christians (Hungary)
“We design our programs, that way that we enable the Christian communities to extend a helping hand to other communities living together with them.”
Hungary has just organized an international conference on religious persecution in Budapest with political, religious and social leaders from 45 countries.
It is a powerful project that will bear fruit in the long term.
Javier Martínez-Brocal
Melissa Butz
