Written by: Mary Margaret Olohan
Article source: stream.org

Hundreds are expected to join the “March for the Martyrs” in Washington, D.C., this weekend as they peacefully march in solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world.

On Sept. 30, the nonprofit organization For the Martyrs will host its annual march to raise awareness about increasing persecution of Christians across the globe. The 2023 march will particularly highlight the plight of Christians in Nigeria, Iran, and Armenia.

“The March for the Martyrs is more than an event,” For the Martyrs CEO and founder Gia Chacon, 26, said in a statement, “it’s a declaration that we will not turn a blind eye to the suffering of our brothers and sisters in faith.”

“This march serves as a tangible way to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians — to raise our voices where theirs have been silenced,” added Chacon, who founded the organization when she was 23 years old. “We invite you to join us in Washington, D.C., on September 30th and take a stand for religious freedom and human dignity.”

Chacon told The Daily Signal that they expect around 500 attendees.

The March for the Martyrs will begin at 3 p.m. at Freedom Plaza in the nation’s capital and will conclude with a Night of Prayer for the Persecuted, at which attendees will hear from both survivors of persecution and advocates, including Marziyeh Amirizadeh, a survivor of persecution of Christians in Iran, and Robert Avetisyan, an official with the Armenian government, representing the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, where Azerbaijan on Tuesday launched an “anti-terrorist operation” against an Armenian enclave.

Chacon and her organization say that persecution of Christians is often overlooked and ignored by the mainstream media, though the number of those persecuted globally for their faith continues to rise.

According to the anti-persecution group Open Doors U.S., 360 million Christians were persecuted or discriminated against for their faith last year, while 5,259 Christians were abducted, 5,621 Christians were killed for their faith, and 2,110 churches and Christian buildings were attacked in the past year.

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Date published: 28/09/2023
Feature image: Gia Chacon

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