Red Wednesday petition urges government to take action on religious persecution

Wednesday 24th November 2021

An annual campaign to fight religious persecution for Christians around the world returns this week with a special focus on women and young girls.

Red Wednesday is an annual initiative from Aid to the Church in Need that aims to highlight the daily suffering, oppression, violence, torture, and death endured by the Christian community the world over.

This year, Aid to the Church in Need is highlighting the plight of women and girls in particular, who in many parts of the world live under the constant threat of kidnap, forced marriage and conversion, rape, and sexual enslavement.

In a bid to seek awareness and justice, Aid to the Church in Need is asking Christians to light up and speak out for our sisters around the world, by lighting up our churches, schools, buildings, and landmarks in red, and signing a petition asking the UK government and the UN to do more to end religious persecution.

A statement from the petition said:

“We want to send a message to the UK government and the UN that more must be done to help these women, that effective steps have to be taken to address the double jeopardy faced by women and girls from religious minorities.”

You can find out more and sign the petition online by clicking here.

In addition to signing the petition, people across the UK will be lighting buildings up in red this evening to raise awareness of the campaign, including Holy Name Roman Catholic Church in Chorlton-on-Medlock.

Holy Name is one of numerous churches across our diocese that has previously supported the campaign, and will light up the front of the church once again this evening.

Is your church or school lighting up in support of Aid to the Church in Need? Don’t forget to tag us in your photos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and use the hashtag #RedWednesday.

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