Muslim Hate Crimes: Prince Charles Warns Of 'Evil Persecution' Against Muslims, Religions Worldwide

The Prince of Wales was speaking out after a recent wave of hate crimes targeting Muslims and other minority religions around the world. In the third airing of BBC Radio 4's "Thought for the Day," Prince Charles reminded listeners that various religions around the world currently remain under "evil persecution," encouraging tolerance and inclusion in the midst of the holiday season.

The prince described an encounter he recently had with a Jesuit priest who fled Syria and told him of the harrowing experiences Christians face in their own homelands. "He thought it quite possible there will be no Christians in Iraq within five years," Prince Charles said in his Christmas message. "Clearly, for such people, religious freedom is a daily, stark choice between life and death."

As the prince noted, the Syrian priest’s story is all too similar to the story of the Nativity, what he described as “the fleeing of the Holy Family to escape violent persecution.” But the ongoing oppression against minority religions globally isn’t exclusive to Christianity. Prince Charles expressed his disbelief for the ongoing persecution of Muslims, Sikhs and other religions being targeted by hate crimes and persecution in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. He described the perils of World War II, in which his parents' generation saw global intolerance target Jewish communities during the Nazi era. "That, nearly seventy years later, we should still be seeing such evil persecution is, to me, beyond all belief," Prince Charles said.

The Prince of Wales also discussed the story of the Prophet Mohammad, who, like many other religious leaders, was "seeking the freedom for himself and his followers to worship."

Prince Charles ended his BBC radio segment by urging listeners to eradicate the "deeply disturbing echoes of the dark days."

"Whichever religious path we follow, the destination is the same," Prince Charles concluded. "To value and respect the other person, accepting their right to live out their peaceful response to the love of God."