On 23 November buildings across the country were lit red to raise awareness of religious persecution and to stand up for faith and freedom. Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster were some of the many buildings in London and across the country that were illuminated in red for the occasion.
The #RedWednesday campaign, led by Aid to the Church in Need, honours those persecuted or killed in acts of religious hatred and calls for more to be done to help victims of persecution.
A prayer vigil was held outside the cathedral with live music and speakers including, His Holiness Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Shaykh Dr Umar Al-Qadri, Ameer (Head-Imam) of the Al-Mustafa Islamic Educational and Cultural Centre, and Dr Sarah Bernstein, Director-General of the Jerusalem Centre for Jewish-Christian Relations. Prayers were led by Westminster Youth Ministry team.
A red London bus travelled around the city during the day in order to spread the message of faith and freedom, stopping at religious sites such as Imam Khoei Islamic Centre, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St John’s Wood.
On 24 November ACN released its 2016 Religious Freedom in the World report, which assesses the situation for different faith communities across the world.
