While Christians in America are celebrating an end to the hostile Biden-Harris regime, Christians in Europe witnessed increased persecution and hatred last year, according to a new report. The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) published its annual report on Friday, examining instances of “intolerance and discrimination against Christians” over the course of 2023. Unfortunately, the report found that religiously-motivated hate crimes against Christians more than doubled last year. “The majority of the attacks … were motivated by radical Islamism, a tragic consequence of mass immigration into Europe.” Relying on data from police and civil society organizations, OIDAC Europe found that there were 2,444 anti-Christian hate crimes, including over 230 “personal attacks,” across 35 different European countries last year alone. France, the United Kingdom, and Germany saw the most drastic increase, with hate crimes against Christians in Germany more than doubling last year. In France, there were nearly 1,000 hate crimes committed against Christians, including acts of vandalism and arson against churches and over 80 physical attacks against priests, preachers, and other persons on the basis of their Christian faith. There were over 700 anti-Christian hate crimes in the U.K. In Germany, there were over 2,000 attacks on churches, cemeteries, and other Christian sites alone. (READ MORE from S.A. McCarthy: Catholic Bishops Stumble on Immigration) According to OIDAC Europe’s report, 62 percent of anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe last year consisted of acts of vandalism, 10 percent were arson attacks, 8 percent consisted of threats of violence, 7 percent consisted of actual acts of physical violence, and 2 percent consisted of attempted homicides. Motivations behind anti-Christian hate crimes included radical Islam, anti-religion sentiment, and radical leftism, although OIDAC Europe noted that some crimes were “were linked to the war in Ukraine.” The report also observed that the share of anti-Christian hate crimes motivated by radical Islam nearly doubled in 2023. Some examples of anti-Christian hate crimes cited in the report include at least two instances of Muslims in the U.K. stabbing or attempting to murder converts to Christianity, considering them “infidels.” In Poland, a man intentionally drove his car through a Corpus Christi procession composed of over 100 Catholics, including 60 children. A priest in Spain was stabbed in the neck while distributing Holy Communion; the man responsible for the stabbing reportedly shouted curses at the Catholic Church and said that he “wanted to kill the bishop.” Also in Spain, a jihadist killed a sacristan with a machete and wounded four others, including a priest, as he attacked two churches. In comments to The American Spectator, Arielle Del Turco, Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, said, “This data should cause European political leaders to take seriously the religious freedom concerns of Christians in their countries. No one should be physically attacked for their faith, and that this is happening in the West is particularly alarming.” She continued, “The majority of the attacks which we have data on were motivated by radical Islamism, a tragic consequence of mass immigration into Europe.” Del Turco added, “Rising anti-Christian hate crimes is a shameful and dangerous trend that European leaders should work swiftly to reverse.” OIDAC Europe also reported that instances of “discrimination” against Christians are on the rise, with hearings and surveys finding that some Christians have even lost their jobs because they profess fundamental Christian moral teachings, such as “marriage is a union between one man and one woman” or “human life begins at conception.” A survey conducted in the U.K. found that over half (56 perccent) of Christians polled said that they had been mocked, ridiculed, or ostracized for their Christian faith. Among Christians under the age of 35, 61 percent responded that they had been mocked, ridiculed, or ostracized for their faith. One male survey participant said that any “mention of faith in a CV precludes one from an interview. My yearly assessment was lowered because I spoke of Christ.” A female respondent said that she was “bullied” at her workplace due to her faith, and another Christian coworker was “bullied out of her job for her beliefs and refusing to do shifts on Sundays so she could attend church.” Religious and moral beliefs expressed privately over social media have also become an issue, with one woman profiled in the report having been fired for a Facebook post she made asking why transgenderism was being promoted in her son’s primary school. (READ MORE: Ireland Imposes Draconian ‘Hate’ Laws) In other instances, Christians and Christian organizations have been “debanked.” Two pro-life organizations in Sweden and the Netherlands, for example, had their bank accounts closed due to their pro-life advocacy. The Scandinavian bank Nordea even closed the personal account of Mats Selander, founder of the Christian Center for Bioethical Reform in Sweden. Christians in Europe are also being pressured to resign from political positions due to their religious beliefs. In one egregious example, Councillor Anthony Stevens in the U.K. was arrested at home in front of his children for supporting a Christian colleague’s right to freedom of speech. OIDAC Europe classified colleges and universities as “the most hostile environments” against Christians. The report cited a study of universities in the U.K. which found that Christians were the most likely to report discrimination and harassment for their views. OIDAC Europe noted, “In particular, students with pro-life views across Europe have reported hostility and even death threats.” According to Christian parents cited in the report, “too many teachers express anti-Christian sentiments” at European schools and universities. European media has also been particularly hostile to Christians, including openly excusing anti-Christian hate crimes. Some nations — such as Germany, Spain, and the U.K. — have also enacted “buffer zones” outside of abortion facilities, banning pro-life protest or prayer. In the U.K. especially, a number of individuals have been arrested for praying across the street from abortion facilities, even if the prayer is silent. In Scotland, a “buffer zone” law enacted last year criminalized pro-life activity even within one’s own home, provided that the home was close enough to an abortion facility. The Scottish government even warned residents within the “buffer zones” that “activities in a private place (such as a house) within the area … could be an offence if they can be seen or heard within the Zone and are done intentionally or recklessly.” Additionally, OIDAC Europe’s report noted that conscience rights for Christians, especially in the medical field, have been trampled across he continent. In Spain, for example, Christian doctors who do not want to commit abortions are required to publicly register their names in order to even request a religious exemption. Even then, Christian doctors may be forced to commit abortions against their religious convictions depending upon the availability of others who are willing to commit abortions. Parental rights have also been heavily restricted in parts of Europe, with homeschooling being either banned or heavily restricted or regulated, and with governments ensuring children are giving proper “sex education,” including transgenderism propaganda. In Switzerland, a 16-year-old was taken into state custody and separated from her parents because they would not consent to her gender transition attempts. In Germany, a private Christian school was forcibly closed for not adhering to the country’s new educational laws governing private schools. “With increasing secularization leading to growing religious illiteracy among public leaders and the influence of secularist ethics, Christians in Europe continue to face restrictions on the exercise of their religious freedom, including the right to express religious views on various issues relating to human nature and human relationships,” the OIDAC Europe report concluded. “Public awareness and government action are therefore needed more than ever.” The post Hostility Toward Christians Skyrockets Across Europe appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.