17-19 Cockspur St, London SW1Y 5BL
Membership in a denomination or a religious group can evoke persecution and victimization, even today. The research of institutions monitoring religious discrimination indicates that Christians are the targets of most attacks. The situation is especially desperate in the Middle East, in the cradle of Christianity, where the survival of Christian communities of two thousand years is endangered.
Daily explosions, bloody confrontations, and the humanitarian disaster covering most of the Middle East and North Africa have become a routinely repeated element of the news feed. Personal and public tragedies in war and violence-stricken countries of the region affect everyone.
However, the fate of Christians requires extra attention, since the events of the past years have shaken their communities and accelerated the radical decrease of their numbers in unprecedented measures. The roots of Western civilization are embedded in the soil of the Middle East now soaked with blood. Their extraction or withering can fundamentally shake human civilization in general.
The extremist Jihadist organizations are not equal with the Muslims at all. Jihadist Salafism, the most extreme understanding of Islam, was established in the second half of the 20th century. The major organization of contemporary Jihadism refers to itself as the “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant” (ISIS), and it is a terrorist organization. However, besides ISIS, hundreds of armed groups with similar ideologies operate in the region.
Apart from violence against humans, another form of Christian persecution is the attack on constructed heritage. The cultic places of Christianity are symbols of paganism for the terrorists, which they have to destroy. The attacks include the elimination of buildings with symbolic significance on the one hand, and the demolishing of dwelling houses on the other.
As a result of attacks and anti-Christian atrocities, Christians have been fleeing from the Middle East for decades. In consequence, Christianity can disappear from the region once and for all.
The dwindling of Christian communities in the Middle East has reached an alarming speed over the last few years. However, we can find examples of hopeful developments and initiatives as well. More and more efforts are made worldwide with the aim to not only underline the problem, but also foster remaining at home, rebuilding, and returning.
The aim of the exhibition is to draw attention to the processes taking place in the Middle East, to point out the unsustainability of the situation, to explain the causes and to outline the consequences - each on a scientific basis.
Through the presented personal stories, we would like to draw attention to those individuals who suffer from extremely serious atrocities due to their belonging to a community or culture.
Opening Times:
Monday - Thursday: 9 AM – 6 PM
Friday: 9 AM – 2PM
Saturday: 10 AM - 6 PM
Visiting the exhibition is free but registration is necessary.
Organized in cooperation with the Hungarian National Museum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary and the Embassy of Hungary in London.