05 May 2017

Christian refugee converts in Germany face violent attacks

.... For example, a graffiti on one of the victims' walls reads, "It is time to kill the non-believers." Entry to the bathroom, showers or the kitchen has been restricted with the words, "The impure cannot enter," written on the doors.

Converts are made to hear Islamic prayers or verses from the Quran, played through mobile phones. Those not wearing headscarves or openly wearing crosses are subject to harsh accusations. Apart from insults and abuses, there are knife attacks, and every now and then, death threats.

Representatives of church organizations helping refugees told DW that such incidents occur quite often. The "Iraner Seelsorge" in Hannover, which counsels refugees from Iran, reported a case in which a young convert was bullied at school for so long that he had to leave it.

At the Evangelical-Lutheran-Trinity community in Berlin’s Steglitz area, Pastor Gottfried Martens complains that victims reporting such cases were not taken seriously. [Deutsche Welle] Read more