Last year, 360 million Christians were affected by oppression, control and violence, simply because of their faith. 5,898 Christians were killed for their religious beliefs, while 6,175 believers were arrested, convicted or imprisoned without a trial and 3,829 were abducted in the past one year alone.Last year, 360 million Christians were affected by oppression, control and violence, simply because of their faith. 5,898 Christians were killed for their religious beliefs, while 6,175 believers were arrested, convicted or imprisoned without a trial and 3,829 were abducted in the past one year alone.
Persecution of Christians has reached the highest levels since the Open Doors World Watch List began nearly 30 years ago, affecting increasing numbers of believers around the world. Globally, at least 360 million Christians, or one in seven of the world’s Christian population, experience high levels of persecution and discrimination, according to Open Doors.
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has made headlines around the world, but they are far from the only violent extremists targeting Christians and other religious minorities. Their victory has bolstered Islamic militants in neighbouring Pakistan, and may well embolden jihadist groups in other regions. It’s the main reason that Niger has jumped 21 places, for example, re-entering the World Watch List Top 50 after a series of attacks by Islamic militants. The Taliban’s success encourages extremists around the world.
Open Doors highlights that alongside Niger’s believers, Christians across sub-Saharan Africa face extreme and increasing violence from Islamic militants. This is particularly severe in Nigeria, where more Christians are killed for their faith than in the rest of the world combined, but Christians also face extreme violence in Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Mali, Cameroon and Burkina Faso.
www.opendoorsuk.org
Even countries that fall outside the Open Doors World Watch List Top 50 – like South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda – see terrible violence against Christians. In Cuba, church leaders who speak out for social justice have been detained, tortured and fined. In Nicaragua and Venezuela, the authorities have closed churches and launched a smear campaign against Christians. And it’s not just the remnants of the communist world: countries as diverse as Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Malaysia have all tightened restrictions. Where China leads, others follow. This is all being done on the Chinese model, Open Doors points out. If we look at the figures as a whole, in addition to the 360 million people mentioned above, it is also shocking that 5,898 Christians have been murdered for their faith, 6,175 Christians have been arrested, convicted or imprisoned without trial, and 3,829 have been kidnapped.
www.opendoorsuk.org
The Austrian National Council also discussed the shocking Open Doors study. Susanne Furst, the human rights spokesperson for the right-wing Austrian Freedom Party (FPO), has called for urgent action to protect Christians and for a strong stand against the worldwide persecution of Christians. “We want to specifically address the persecution of Christians, especially in the light of the fact that many countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea, Nigeria, Iran and Pakistan are among the worst places for Christians, and, in turn, many illegal immigrants, mostly of Muslim faith, coming here from those countries,” Ms Furst said.
The US State Department appears to disagree with the Open Doors data, as it has again refused to declare Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), Harbingers Daily reports. Over the recommendations of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and pleas from religious freedom advocates, the Biden administration, for the second year, left Nigeria off of a list of 12 other nations designated as CPCs. The Trump State Department had designated Nigeria as a CPC, but the Biden administration dropped that label in 2021.
The CPC designations are announced annually by the State Department to spotlight the world’s worst violators of religious freedom.
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