RELIGION HEADLINES MON 4-28-25

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(SRN NEWS  )  The mayor of Amsterdam has apologized for the role the Dutch capital played in the persecution of its Jewish citizens during World War Two.  Speaking at an event marking Holocaust Remembrance Day, Mayor Femke Halsema (FEM-kuh  hal-SEM-uh) said that civil servants in Amsterdam played an active role in the murder of thousands of Jewish citizens of the city.  Of the estimated 80,000 Jews who lived in Amsterdam at the outbreak of the war, only 20,000 survived.  Among those deported was teenage diarist Anne Frank and her family.

(  )  After an investigation into allegations of child pornography at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, a Texas lawmaker has proposed legislation defining the types of art that should be barred from museums.  Republican Representative David Lowe says his bill would establish a civil penalty against museums that display “certain obscene or harmful material.”  Earlier this year, the Fort Worth museum was investigated over a series of photos of nude children displayed by photographer Sally Mann. The photos were featured as part of the “Diaries of Home” exhibition.

(  )  Persecution of Christians in Iran is surging.  According to Article 18, a British human rights group, nearly 100 believers were sentenced to prison for their faith in 2024 by Iranian courts.  That’s a 600 percent increase over 2023.  The U.S. Commission on International Freedom is also concerned about the so-called Muslim morality police, who abuse Christians on the streets.  A new report by the Commission says these bands “violently arrest and assault women not wearing the hijab.  They also penalize businesses that allow patronage by women.”

(  )  A new report indicates that persecution of Christians in Pakistan is on the rise again.  The survey conducted by Human Rights Focus Pakistan finds believers were victims of an unusually high number of murders, abductions and forced conversions during the first three months of this year.  Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern says “For too long, Pakistan has cloaked its systemic persecution in silence and impunity.  The world must wake up to this crisis and hold Islamabad accountable for its shameful record.”  Christians make up less than three percent of the population in Pakistan.