France: January 21, 2011. The European Parliament adopted a widely-backed resolution requesting sanctions against countries which do not protect religious minorities, following a spate of violence against Christian communities around the world on January 20, 2011, 2010 has been a bloody year for Christian communities around the world. In March, a series of massacres occurred near the city of Jos in Nigeria, mainly targeting the Christian Berom community. Hundreds of people were killed following clashes between Muslims and Christians. In November, Christian areas were targeted by terrorist attacks in Iraq, with many victims. They were part of a wave of religious violence which has hit the country since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Christian communities are also under threat in Pakistan, where a controversial blasphemy law is calling into question religious freedom. Even the Pope intervened in November, calling on the Pakistani authorities to release a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who is facing the death penalty for her alleged blasphemy. The beginning of 2011 further confirmed the trend when a blast at a Christian Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt, killed 21 people. MEPs from all political parties called for a review of current EU foreign policy instruments to make them more suited to protecting effectively Christian communities in third countries. They proposed drafting "a list of measures against states that knowingly fail to protect religious denominations," according to the adopted text. MEPs requested regular monitoring of religious intolerance and violence. The EU External Action Service should be equipped with "a permanent capacity to monitor the situation of governmental and societal restrictions on religious freedom," reads the resolution. Several members of the European People's Party (EPP), the largest group in the European Parliament, called for more concrete action and instruments to defend Christians. German EPP MEP Elmar Brok, president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs between 1997 and 2007, called for persecution of Christians to be included within the scope of action of the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR), which provides grants for human rights protection across the world. MEPs were reassured by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who promised action. Meanwhile, Vatican Radio in a broadcast said “Members of the European Parliament today adopted a resolution condemning persecution and discrimination based on religion. In particular MEP’s condemned attacks against Christians in countries including Egypt, and Iraq. They also called for a strategy to enforce the human right to freedom of religion, including a list of measures against states who knowingly fail to protect religious denominations. Lydia O’Kane spoke to MEP Mario Mauro, who is head of the delegation of the EPP group in the European parliament. He says there is now a growing awareness in Europe of the plight of Christians in many countries. “I think we are in a very significant moment in the history of the European institutions, because for the first time we declared this kind of judgment, the fact that there exists the problem of persecution of Christians.” MEP’s also want the forthcoming External Affairs Council of 31 January 2011 to discuss the persecution of Christians and respect for religious freedom. Listen to Mario Mauro's interview with Lydia O'Kane.