Crucifixes are banned in the schools of France, Macedonia and Georgia.

Crucifixes are banned in the schools of France, Macedonia and Georgia The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has determined that the presence of crucifixes in public school classrooms poses no loss for the right to education of students. The sentence gives the reason to the Italian government, which had appealed an earlier decision of the same court in which the judges had felt that the presence of crucifixes in classrooms was against the right of students. The statement acknowledges that the presence of a symbol of the majority religion in the country "is not a gesture of indoctrination that might be considered as a violation of the right to freedom of belief." The judges argue that the fact that there are or not crucifixes in public school classrooms can not be considered "indoctrination", is "not associated with compulsory teaching of Christianity" and there is "no indication that the authorities have proved intolerant towards students who profess other religions, are non-believers or not linked to any religion". Among the member countries of the European Parliament, only France, Macedonia and Georgia prohibit the presence of crucifixes in schools, this presence is legally binding, as well as in Italy, in some areas of Germany, in Austria, in some Swiss cantons and in Poland, while in the vast majority there is no decision one way or another. On the other hand, to evangelize can lead to prison, for example, in Laos. The police of the Pinh district, in the Savannakhet province, jailed three Christian pastors, active in small local communities, for "spreading the Christian religion”, as revealed to the Fides news agency the three detainees: Mr. Bounma, pastor in the church of Alowmai, Mr. Somkaew, pastor of Kengsainoi, and Mr. Bounmee, pastor of Savet in the Sepon district, Savannakhet province. These Christian pastors acquired in a local store a movie with Christian content and ordered three copies of the same. To test the quality of these copies, the owner of the store, along with the three pastors began to watch the film. But a policeman entered the bazaar, contacted his superiors and consequently the Lieutenant Khamvee and two agents showed up at the store and arrested the three pastors. In a note sent to Fides the Ngo HWR (Human Rights Watch) in Laos, demands the immediate release of the three pastors. Fides confirms the violent police behavior against Christians in the whole province of Savannakhet. Author and journalist Clemente Ferrer has led a distinguished career in Spain in the fields of advertising and public relations. He is currently President of the European Institute of Marketing. clementeferrer3@gmail.com