Latest / Gunther Fehlinger Podcast / Interview with Austrian MP Gudrun Kugler on RedWednesday calling to end prosecution of Christians - Gunther Fehlinger

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Interview with Austrian MP Gudrun Kugler on RedWednesday calling to end prosecution of Christians - Gunther Fehlinger · Gunther Fehlinger Podcast

• 0:02
  This morning, it's a very big on a for me to welcome the member
• 0:05
  of the Austrian Parlament. Gudrun Kugler she's a very a
• 0:09
  complish personality who is been fighting for a christian rights
• 0:14
  in hola political career and she's member of the Austrian
• 0:17
  People's Party and i'm very happy that you're this morning
• 0:20
  it. Our show it paxa europeana we
• 0:23
  are for peace and we a definitiv for the rights of christians to
• 0:26
  live in peace and security and to stop prosecurity.
• 0:30
  Usion of Christians worldwide today is the red wans day,
• 0:33
  that's the global day of a venus against the prostitution of
• 0:36
  Christians, that's what i am white it you i would like to
• 0:39
  welcome you very much good one and please can you present
• 0:42
  yourself first your political career your positions and then
• 0:46
  alls of the really discust about red wans day good one the fleus.
• 0:50
  Y's one of will think is a match for haveing me on your potcast.
• 0:54
  I am a member of the Austria Parlament I am also avice
• 0:58
  President of the Parlament resembly of the OSCE, that's the
• 1:01
  Organisation for Security Corporation in Europe.
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  I am Speaker for human right and for development corporation for
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  my political group witch is the Christian Demogrady Group in
• 1:11
  Austria in the parlament, we have a coalition a christian
• 1:15
  demograds have to chancel i to coalition of three parties and
• 1:19
  so that innovated scribes my deli political buck.
• 1:23
  I travel a lot and try to keep up the flake for huban rights
• 1:27
  and as you're at also for ready to freedom, welches quide and
• 1:31
  issue with lux different and different regens, but as tool
• 1:36
  huban rights, i think it's something very have to p very
• 1:38
  careful attention to. Absolute the thanks salot for
• 1:41
  word you doing for the christians of the hole world.
• 1:44
  Good on that me ask you because today is the red wends day
• 1:47
  what's the meaning of this day you just that last week i was
• 1:50
  invited and very big and very good conference in the austrian
• 1:54
  parlament about this coming awareness day today is the
• 1:58
  nineteen for of november so can you explain what's the meaning
• 2:01
  of this day? Ja, thick you're not for coming
• 2:03
  to Parlament last week. So the nineteen of November is
• 2:07
  the one de we're. I think it or riginated a few
• 2:11
  years a go with a to the trigy need we do the lot charity that
• 2:14
  helpes prosecuit christians and there's at win and recreate
• 2:18
  awareness by litting official buildings government buildings
• 2:23
  cathy drals we're wants to joining in red so that people i
• 2:28
  remind it that this atrosities IAX ly happening.
• 2:31
  And you know, i think awareness is one of the verifers steps of
• 2:35
  arremity because if you don't have awareness, we will not
• 2:38
  response and so lighting up buildings in red is quiet
• 2:43
  something so in in many countries in the world, i can
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  see probably all of europe is muches i know.
• 2:51
  Buildings and lead up for example, saint steven's
• 2:53
  cathedral for many us to austrian parlament.
• 2:56
  We have now a change of presidency from my party to the
• 3:00
  for the right party and it's no long a lead up, but in my time
• 3:04
  and and i it's good relations with our president we had it
• 3:08
  lead up, also the Austrian Parlament was lead up in rate
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  and then sevrel of or ministrys and i think two hundred and
• 3:15
  fifty out of buildings in Austria alone.
• 3:18
  And that's happening all of a Europe.
• 3:20
  I think it's a very good sign and now they have already
• 3:23
  extended just to say it's not just a date's actually a red
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  went's the week and lots of events a taking place in all
• 3:29
  countries. For example, this worning as we
• 3:32
  speak in the hangarian parlaments very highlevel from a
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  all central european countries people a coming together in
• 3:39
  order to this gast. What to do and how to the help
• 3:42
  person of christians and that is happening virtual olover and in
• 3:46
  my apparament last week i did it to do it earlia because the last
• 3:49
  cup of days i was in Istanbul for the OSE parlamentary so this
• 3:54
  is we i did it a fudas earlia we all support experts together we
• 4:00
  had a on garren's day sekretari many representatives of
• 4:05
  organisations that help in the different countries.
• 4:10
  Coming to get a discusting what could be the respons of a metal
• 4:13
  size west of the european country and that think we kame
• 4:17
  up is quidalist. Absolutly that was an Excel and
• 4:20
  Conference and tuch a global event is, they is so important
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  to inform the european and global public and what is
• 4:27
  happening that's discust about the country specificall we and
• 4:31
  you're judgment is the situation of christians is specialy
• 4:34
  complicated, we're the prosecuted and we're witch
• 4:38
  countries you're specialy. On the parlamentarian from
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  Austrian. Red you know we talk about three
• 4:47
  on and sixty 1000000 people who live in diary situation of
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  prosecution. It's a lot more people and you
• 4:53
  look in to a sattel form of discrimination and and in and ng
• 4:59
  os that rical disquestions and create reports they speak of
• 5:03
  seventy eight countries, we're the pressure is very hush.
• 5:08
  And opusly a by the nostis the top of the list is north coreer
• 5:12
  and you know the the view things that we here extremed it is
• 5:17
  hartening and conserning for very trend to flat as a use a
• 5:22
  was court broad back and he flat again s very that to see is that
• 5:28
  t was broad back by the traineso sorities and then put in a libre
• 5:32
  camp and i think we go do so call the consultation camp.
• 5:36
  And tilling flight again now he live's in England friends of
• 5:39
  mine politicians to care for the protection of personal
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  christians to kimin and help them to start at life.
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  He's no home hered he's as he's goods education and he works at
• 5:49
  the Parlament in order to reas of we an is of what's happeding
• 5:51
  in outs career, so timothy Joe, it's a very good friend, but he
• 5:55
  told me to most theraple things of what he live true and no so
• 5:59
  on this buddy you have you know all the torcher max still now.
• 6:04
  Somalia, jemand Libya, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria is the country
• 6:10
  a most of the people that get murdered eighty present of of
• 6:16
  murders of christians i taking place in Nigeria.
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  This is absolute untincabley horror anterra and it's
• 6:24
  happening it's still happening and i responses just to week so
• 6:29
  this is opusly you can pro long by thick made it's wentre thing
• 6:32
  to look into regence. I think of major reach of
• 6:35
  consern is subsa her in Africa, then obviously Jemen, Iran,
• 6:43
  Afghanistan, Central Asia Eastern countries, then
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  amendient the Asian region nordkorea, but also china and
• 6:55
  and some as a the countries in the region, so that's kind of
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  what the. Serie.
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  We'll in seria and you know i just mansion to ten of seventy
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  eight countries in seria. We are.
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  We are it of how this will now develop and you know some people
• 7:14
  are hopeful that the new government would not do the
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  things then we so in AA genosites you can see against
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  different groups and not not get directly christians but
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  collaterally lot of christians killed and so.
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  I'm very white about seria jetzt and i think it is a very big
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  ishu was regards to what kind of returns of people who kames
• 7:43
  refugees i extra possible. Gut und ten me the Austrian
• 7:47
  State as are a special office to fight for posibuteed Christians.
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  How is that working? We have a dan for many years,
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  lots of discussions, and we're position of pressure that we
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  would get such in office. We have now a ministry unit,
• 8:05
  it's germanit's code stabsstelle we look into the protection of
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  prosecute minorities religious minorities with a special focus
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  on christians obesley we want to support old prosecuted people
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  you know what ever the religion and it's a more difficult when
• 8:24
  you are materity minority but all to behave to see it
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  sometimes we see. All the problems for majorities
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  for quied majorities. It's wish it not over look it,
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  but this is call to for a religious minorities and and
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  it's as the special emphasies and christians with you can't
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  already see is a political negoritiation result and this
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  office is an anno report of what's going on in the world and
• 8:48
  them and this report that is present it to parlaments of have
• 8:53
  a discussion. And then we try to use these
• 8:56
  findings in our foreign policy and in our international
• 9:00
  corporation projects and not so much money, but the loon bit of
• 9:04
  funding they have to do projects directly.
• 9:07
  For example, a building schools that a hosted by christians, but
• 9:13
  that a open to everybody this is a very good combination because
• 9:18
  generali and emanu of these societies we have issues.
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  Christian Education is held in high a Steam and evan doll they
• 9:29
  face a some form of disrimination people still know
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  the this is. We education is good and when we
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  manage to get good education facilities, we're different
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  religious groups, i have the children we can secured on the
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  long run there will be a better understanding and last last
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  disrimination. So Austria is really very active
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  here on disicio today. Red wentstay most of the
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  Austrian Churches will be in red in the eving and how is the
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  situation because Austria is member of the european Union,
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  how series is this issue of prosecuted Christian staking,
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  but the european Union i here there is also enboy from the
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  european union on disicio. Yes.
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  They're already many years a go the EU institute and a special
• 10:18
  envoy a special representative on religious freedom outside the
• 10:21
  EU who consulted the commission, and so it's verimport not to
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  confusive because you know it's not internal religious freedom
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  isses, but it's external but the EU as a special consultant, a
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  special envoy to walk with them with the got to all of the
• 10:37
  policy. And Fear is a gold is was health
• 10:41
  by former Commission a jan figel from slowakia and i know I'm
• 10:45
  quide will i could see em travel the world to talk to persitive
• 10:49
  communities to see i you could respond to make public
• 10:52
  statements that would already change is ituation because as
• 10:56
  you know in a globalized world, a public statement related to
• 10:59
  the commission you know is meaningful for the government
• 11:03
  there and already begins a protection process.
• 11:07
  Bitch of Coast and need to before it up by EU corporation
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  and so at the moment, this is unfortunately wakened.
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  I know there I've number of very good highlevel sitations of who
• 11:22
  could be this person, and it's themes that the office of Ursula
• 11:26
  von der Leyen is just not processing the request and i'm
• 11:29
  very up that about this it's red we talk about all the problems
• 11:33
  that all there. This doesn t and cost and you
• 11:36
  money to the the european union. It's just about you know it's
• 11:41
  geting somebody on the road and it's also good for the european
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  union to i have that's competencies and to be theme as
• 11:50
  be the who care about this issues so i have ups and no IDA
• 11:55
  white this is not bean process faster, and i think the blockade
• 12:01
  is really happything around the office of on the line and i hope
• 12:04
  it will be resoved it. They're they're some that.
• 12:07
  Would be a powerful call to make from the european union to have
• 12:11
  such an envoy, speciation and syria and that Syria and North
• 12:14
  Korea is so dramaticly Bad so i think it's time for the you to
• 12:19
  have such an endway appointed. Absolutly.
• 12:22
  Helming good on you're also important personality in America
• 12:25
  with the relations with in Austria and America because
• 12:28
  you're the koordinator of the prayer breakfast and you're have
• 12:31
  also deep insights in to the in the Austria im Parlament, but
• 12:34
  you have also deep Insights in American Politics, America
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  ticks, this is you're not very seriously and präsident Trump as
• 12:41
  is you to the tweet about the christians in Nigeria what you
• 12:44
  think will America do in the coming weeks and moms and we do
• 12:48
  a optimistic that dis is you will be on the top of the gender
• 12:51
  of the. It's themes that he care's very
• 12:55
  much about it and i think to this is absolutely vital and i
• 12:59
  think that we should also do that so there was a different of
• 13:03
  as it bit to in american you're, but he can going with the lord
• 13:05
  of power and might that we do not have in to see in form, but
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  it wants you see the atrosities that i happening i think it's
• 13:13
  right to get to stand up and see look it you want to work it us
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  here is all condition. I am a little bit, we're it
• 13:20
  about you know military threads because generally we are as
• 13:24
  europeans. We are very as agained regarding
• 13:27
  this, but i would do as from the zeit of europe is to be strong a
• 13:34
  on do's on do's in road that we have so for example.
• 13:41
  Politically to stand up very straight and say look we want to
• 13:45
  be friends with you, but this is what you can i do if you want to
• 13:47
  be friends for us, denn we want to work with you economically we
• 13:52
  want to invest in your country we want you to sain you experts
• 13:56
  to our country we are happy to do it is but here our conditions
• 14:00
  denn on a on the International Corporation International
• 14:06
  partnership Level we see you want money for your for projects
• 14:09
  in your country from us. We are happy to give it to you
• 14:12
  because we believe that international corporation create
• 14:15
  stability. We want that we want you to
• 14:18
  drive because it also ups us to drive, but here our basic
• 14:22
  conditions you stop killing christians you stop burning
• 14:26
  Churchills and you stop displacing christians you stop
• 14:30
  closing Christians schools you stop preventing christians from
• 14:34
  having government jobs and so on and so force and then we can
• 14:38
  talk. And i think for this is not far
• 14:42
  off. It's not a big demand and then
• 14:45
  we gould probably a ready so of a large portion of these
• 14:49
  problems, and we don't do in not of that we me beast, you know be
• 14:54
  see you know human rights importance, but then it does not
• 14:58
  trickle down very oft into to the reality freedom.
• 15:02
  And and of the. Parlament good on the eu as
• 15:05
  powerful tools like the eu free trade agreements, which we us
• 15:09
  with aber kind of the world or was to us them to fulfill our
• 15:12
  climate and labor standards, but the rights of christians is not
• 15:16
  so much in the gender and this negotiations or is it.
• 15:19
  No it is it and that's what I'm sing it.
• 15:22
  This is what the red vens there is for we'll light up is
• 15:24
  buildings or a people see all we actually should take that more
• 15:27
  seriesly and and i think. That it there's a like of
• 15:33
  political will so you know this it begins by we EU hardly
• 15:39
  condeming atrosities against christians, so if in night
• 15:43
  sharia people as loted in a church, the EU will First see ok
• 15:49
  will stop relitus violence that then the EU will see stop
• 15:54
  violence because of the land resources.
• 16:00
  And then the will and evan a knologge that this is a
• 16:04
  religions conflict and the will not a knologge that it is
• 16:07
  actually muslim skilling christians and the out and to
• 16:10
  see how can you know technologies?
• 16:12
  I'm in Boko harams that do one all Christians gone so that's
• 16:18
  first. It's not a knologies it is about
• 16:19
  religion second that it's a gets christians and and so this see
• 16:24
  ok stop the violance so the problem begins but not being
• 16:28
  aware. And of cours, there's also isses
• 16:32
  of proverty and isses of resources and isses of land out
• 16:36
  of as part of this, but boko haram is dated clearly that
• 16:39
  dated on one christians and i'm in a on the name of boko haram
• 16:44
  of it means and to investment education that's relationship to
• 16:47
  christian education so. They're that's the first thing,
• 16:52
  the second thing is that even if the econology because they have
• 16:55
  to because there's no intellectual innoadaway that
• 16:57
  this this is persecus of christians, then they're very as
• 17:01
  it and and door thing christianity and christians
• 17:06
  kunity up because it makes them feel like they're back to
• 17:10
  colonial time, so the feel bad for the history and is see if we
• 17:15
  and doors. The victim and discase it looks
• 17:19
  like we the christian colonial power come to tell you what to
• 17:26
  do and we don't want this because we had this a few
• 17:28
  hundred years a go and for many years and i understand the
• 17:35
  sentiment, but it's incorrect because today christian's unot
• 17:40
  colonial powers rule against other people and deking there
• 17:44
  side is justiment of justice. And so we have to get out of
• 17:48
  this pubertarian hensitation and give a meaning for uns.
• 17:53
  A verity uns is necesary. Gut, und hier partykollege Mrs.
• 17:59
  Mezolar Roberta Mezolar she is the president of the European
• 18:02
  Parlament. I'm not sure if today, for
• 18:05
  example, the European Parlament will be all so joining the red
• 18:08
  van Stick campaign and being the red colors, but would you think
• 18:13
  it would be very a probate of her maybe next dear to all so
• 18:16
  joined. The red Wednesday and Paint the
• 18:19
  European Parlament in red colors in order to make a verity
• 18:24
  statement for the rights of christians in i cherrya in seria
• 18:27
  in North Korea and everywhere. Absolute Lee I hope very much it
• 18:33
  just is abening II am the quently not so much in bruses so
• 18:37
  i don't know exactly what doing but II know the a lot of memes
• 18:40
  of the european parlament to care a lot and there a event
• 18:45
  taking place. In the European Parlament and
• 18:48
  I'm sure the a working on the European Parlament being litt up
• 18:51
  in red as well, but i have to comment one country and that's
• 18:54
  hungry. You don't us so much debate, but
• 18:57
  the hungry aring government, but one thing we can see for sure
• 19:02
  that amongs all the european countries, the ungarian
• 19:05
  government as a state secretary it cold hungry helps and this
• 19:09
  people areally in the frontline in many countries.
• 19:13
  And it's let by stay secretary Tristan aspey who is has becomes
• 19:17
  we all of this a very good train of mine and he he'm self you
• 19:21
  know went truth Survival Trainings in order to survival
• 19:25
  Fee got kidnem to goes to this community is talks to them he
• 19:29
  brings money he rebuilds and he also by doing so trice to help
• 19:34
  the communities to actually stay in the countries because what
• 19:37
  happening is in some countries to get christian just simply
• 19:40
  out. And and true the visibility they
• 19:46
  get through this international connections, the visits and the
• 19:49
  funding to build a houses and scoles and community centers
• 19:55
  they can actually stay and another thing that is also
• 19:57
  important for all countries to and we're work economical with
• 20:00
  this countries it something to think about if you you know one
• 20:05
  to found a company to do it in the region requistance live to
• 20:08
  give and jobs and to stabulies the region.
• 20:11
  So that's that's just something we're entreprenose can just help
• 20:17
  and on the long one. We just wish that in countries
• 20:21
  of origine Christianity will Not dialed.
• 20:23
  Absolut leben is is vice President you also the Vice
• 20:26
  President of the parlamentarian assemply of the OSD, that's also
• 20:29
  a power for organisation for peace and re consiliation do you
• 20:33
  also rase the isius of red vensed and of position of
• 20:37
  christians inside the OSD? You know we are very gratefuled
• 20:42
  to the OSCE because it has a branche.
• 20:45
  That's cold, o dear that works on human rights and the publish
• 20:49
  and anual report of hate crimes against muslims, truth and
• 20:55
  christians and and we work close with o dear and d have collected
• 21:00
  only for the year twenty twenty four.
• 21:04
  Two thousand, two hundred and Eleven cases of Anti Christian
• 21:08
  Head crimes in and now. This is not a big surprise in
• 21:12
  this a conversation of i haveing in the OCE region witch in Cam
• 21:16
  Weston and Easton Europe red, and so we as we talk about the
• 21:21
  countries of persecution to seventy eight countries outside
• 21:25
  of the European region. We are the persecution looks
• 21:28
  like to baby imagine at red with people bean killed and twatched
• 21:31
  and displaced. And House is bing, put on fire
• 21:34
  and so um that's the one side of the kind, that's what we call
• 21:37
  perstitution, but we see all so in the OSC region, including
• 21:43
  West and and Easton Europe. We see things that bning that
• 21:47
  are that are rightly called anti christian and opposity of so and
• 21:51
  ti muslel and tijuish SD report, but here we have OSCE reporting
• 21:56
  on mord in two thousand cases on a he's crime to get christians
• 22:00
  and that me kind of tell you what it means.
• 22:03
  There is a lot of vandalizms of Churchills.
• 22:06
  We you can see an underlying he tritt of you know people just
• 22:11
  being upset at the christian religion and maybe of the things
• 22:17
  in learn about the history of christian and maybe not or of
• 22:21
  the things of correct and and people get angry so we see
• 22:24
  vandalizm against churchill we see a lot of arson against
• 22:27
  churchill and and the a. There's this you're massive
• 22:32
  scene this this graffiti that i think this kind of AI don't not
• 22:36
  a word it english, a schablone you know so when this spray and
• 22:40
  they have a grid and this spray to grid that's the only churched
• 22:45
  e luminate is a churched burns and we speak is in french and in
• 22:50
  Spanish and in english and in german and it's bring sprayed on
• 22:54
  churches so this is also happy and we have.
• 22:59
  And attent of these cases, person related crimes meeting
• 23:06
  summity was attack and and summophys Phänomen is also
• 23:10
  formaly muslims convert to Christianity Invest and European
• 23:14
  attack by the fellow countryman red and the amos striking case.
• 23:20
  Was just of you weeks a go, a Christian formely muscle
• 23:24
  Christian in France was recording a youtube video for as
• 23:28
  podcast about conversions who was on the video while it was
• 23:33
  speaking, attacked and killed. As terbal.
• 23:37
  Yes is a terbal and you know all i med you a hardly reports about
• 23:39
  it so this is all so happening and i think you to also look at
• 23:43
  that. A study of priests in Polen i
• 23:48
  one thousand priest to AA ust about how the doing and edit
• 23:53
  present of them said it. The deface frequent personal de
• 23:59
  meaning behavio so I've it was walk up to them and see you know
• 24:04
  you triled wool as something like this and and you know i
• 24:09
  think consitering. The life education to such a
• 24:14
  person as and that most of them a really giving a lot to the
• 24:18
  communities. This atrosit is just extremity
• 24:22
  unfaired hotful. Absolut the absolute the and
• 24:25
  discreated you keep up this struggle for justice, freedom,
• 24:30
  human rights and against the prosecution of christians
• 24:32
  worldwide. This is Gudrun Kugler, a vice
• 24:35
  president of the parlamentarin assembly now has to go in her
• 24:39
  two this of the austrian parlament to the assembly
• 24:41
  because i understand today you will be there's the session of
• 24:45
  the austrian parlament at ninoglock starting.
• 24:47
  Yes and ninoglock ja, i just about make it.
• 24:50
  Perfekt, so that's concluded today is the red ventity please
• 24:54
  abibod in the world celebrate this and commemorate this day
• 24:59
  because it's very important to razer veness against the
• 25:02
  prosecution of. Is special initieria in seria in
• 25:06
  of Korea, but anywhere all people in the world should live
• 25:10
  really should leave injustice and fairness and nomada the
• 25:13
  religion they should not be prosecuted by anybody private or
• 25:17
  the state and definitiv christian should not be
• 25:20
  prosecuted and especially the european union and the united
• 25:23
  states should do more to defend christians worldwide that's are
• 25:28
  a duty and thanks a lot good on for kipping up this very
• 25:31
  important is you and thanks for. Will coming to the show and I
• 25:35
  have you will return in the future to have a interview again
• 25:38
  and I've rich it and good like to they in the Parlament.
• 25:41
  Thanks. That they just no much for
• 25:42
  haveing me a many greatings to all of you a listeners and
• 25:45
  viewers. Thanks a lot all the best.
• 25:49
  It's my a anhalten.