The Independent had in 2014 described Christians as the world’s most persecuted people. Based on Open Doors each month 322 Christians are killed for their faith, 214 churches and Christian properties are destroyed and 772 forms of violence are committed against Christians.
Based on Gordon-Conwell Seminary report one in four of the world’s Christians live in countries hostile to their faith. Muslim extremists are the primary drivers of Christian persecution worldwide based on report from Open Doors. United States Department of State stated that Christians in more than 60 countries in the world face persecution from their government or surrounding neighbors because of their belief. With growing Islamic radicalism persecutions of Christians is growing also.
World Watch list index ranges from 0 that means complete Christian religious freedom, for 100 which means total suppression. The index takes into an account different aspects like the legal and official status of Christians, the actual situation of Christians living in the country, regulations from the state as well as factors that can undermine the freedom of religion in a country. Based on the index of persecution of Christians in countries worldwide for 2015 show that the strongest suppression of Christians was in North Korea (91.95), Somalia (89.53), Iraq (86.45), Syria (82.74) and in Afghanistan (81.5). Persecution of Christians is high also in Iran (79.59), Saudi Arabia (76.69), Libya (75.67), Yemen (72.67), Qatar (63.76), Turkmenistan (63.18), Egypt (60.82), Oman (54.59), Turkey (51.55), Kazakhstan (51.32), Azerbaijan (49.76), United Arab Emirates (49.26) and Kuwait (48.54).
The Middle East remains one of the most violent areas of the world for Christians. Violence against Christians by the Islamic State and other Islamic terrorist groups increased in countries like Iraq and Syria. More than 70 percent of Christians have fled Iraq since 2003, and more than 700,000 Christians have left Syria since the civil war began in 2011. World Watch list ranked Somalia in second, Iraq third, Syria fourth, Afghanistan fifth, Iran seventh, Libya thirteenth and Yemen fourteenth places.
On the infamous third position of all countries in the world faced the most persecution is Iraq. Situation of religious freedom has deteriorated with the spread of the Islamic State. Reports of forced conversion, fleeing and paying taxes for religious minorities become common. With extreme Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) beliefs and actions religious freedom has become just universal human right on a paper that was not exercised in reality also with the help of Iraqi government.
The Syrian crisis has evolved into a largely sectarian conflict. ISIL, extremists and terrorist groups are the main fear factor of many different religions and religious groups among others in this area. Christian group represents 10 percent of the population. With ongoing wars for four years now has damaged religious diversity in the country where persecution level of Christians is extreme. Open Doors overview of Syria reveals Christians are being kidnapped, abducted, physically harmed or killed. The strict Sharia law was implemented by the Islamic State in large part of the country and also in Iraq at the end of 2014. Many calls for elimination of non-Muslims in Iraq and Syria came to light.
United States Commission on internal religious freedom annual report from 2015 showed that in Iran numerous incidents of Iranian authorities happened, including raiding church services, threating, arresting and imprisoning their members. More than 500 Christians were arrested in those five years and in February this year around 90 were imprisoned, detained or awaiting trial because of their beliefs and activities. A minority of about 0.51% Christian population living under Islamic law in Iran are facing persecution, where nearly all Christian activity is regarded as illegal.
Saudi Arabia, home to around 5.43% of Christians remains one of the top countries in the world known for its record of harsh persecution of its Christian citizens. No religion other than Islam is recognized or permitted. Many actions involving other religion besides Islam is prohibited and forbidden. Open Doors report that anyone who chooses to convert to Christianity faces the death penalty.
Also in Yemen person who leaves Islam may face the death penalty. There are rough estimates of how many Christians are living in one of the poorest countries in the peninsula of few thousands. Harassment and living in secret for Christians is nothing out ordinary.
With around 35.000 Christian living in Libya the source of severe persecution is also Islamic extremism. Attacks from militant Islamist groups and violence against Christians, with impunity, were based on Open Doors reports discovered. Any other kind of religious gathering as Islam is forbidden. Executions and kidnaping of Christians and other non-Islamic believers were carried out by ISIS. Many videos were made public available via the net with forced Islamism and beheading of “non-believers”.
In Egypt the largest Christian community, making it around 12% of the population in the Middle East exists. Insufficient protection of religious minorities in the country exists. The wave of anti-Christian violence increased with political and security tensions.
Christians are not the only victims of religious persecutions, but that kind of religious persecutions is the strongest in the Middle East and in my opinion most underreported in the west. We can read about religious persecutions of Tibetan Buddhists, Shiites in Saudi Arabia, but no specific report or article about Christian persecution. Thanks to lack of a report on this topic goes to Christian history, lack of awareness, secular orientation, egoism and ignorance. Should every religion and minority go the same path of persecution? Displacement, torture, abductions, inequality is showing that the right to freedom of thought and religion or belief is not carried out even though is one of the universal rights adopted in 1948 with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Being a Christian is hard in some parts of the world. Religion can make one in the Muslim world a target.