The Colosseum in Rome was lit up in red as a sign of solidarity
for all those who have been persecuted because of their faith. Red
symbolizes the blood shed both recently and historically for those killed as religious
martyrs.
In
2017 alone, 3,000 Christians were killed because of their religion.
The
event, which was held February 24, 2018, was organized by Aid to the Church in
Need, a group that supports persecuted Christians in over 140 countries in the
world. The Maronite Cathedral of St. Elijah in Aleppo, Syria and St. Paul’s
church in Mosul, Iraq were also illuminated in red Saturday night.
The
event in Rome, held at the site where Christians were tortured and murdered for
their faith some 2,000 years ago, featured two speakers from Pakistan — the
husband and youngest daughter of Asia
Bibi, a mother of four who received the death sentence in 2010 on trumped
up charges of blasphemy. Also testifying at the event was Rebecca Bitrus, who
spent two years as a Christian hostage to the Islamist terror group Boko Haram
in Nigeria.
Learn
more about the violent persecution of Christians and other minorities in the
Middle East by watching Clarion Project’s latest film Faithkeepers. Click below
to watch the trailer:
