Christian persecution reached record high in 2015, report says

Open Doors also seeks to inspire and inform Christians in America, using the annual watch list “as a clarion call to pray, advocate and remember their persecuted fellow Christians”.

“The levels of exclusion, discrimination and violence against Christians is unprecedented, spreading and intensifying”, David Curry, president and CEO of Open Doors USA, said.

North Korea remains the most risky place on Earth to be a Christian, with estimates of around 70,000 Christians imprisoned in labour camps.

According to Curry, over 2,400 churches worldwide were destroyed or damaged this year.

While ISIS gets the majority of media coverage due to its shocking barbarity, the report notes that the Boko Haram terrorist group has killed more Christians in 2015 than any other terrorist group.

“Christianity is not only seen as “opium for the people” as is normal for all communist states; it is also seen as deeply Western and despicable”, Open Doors USA said. Presently, more than 50,000 Christians are expected to be detained in the country’s notorious labor camps. “Christians, longing to stay in their home countries, are being forced to flee for their lives and for their children’s lives”.

According to the report, however, much of the persecution faced by Christians occurs in predominantly Muslim nations, many of which are “failed states” that fail to protect any of their citizens’ religious liberty.

The other eight countries in the top ten are all Islamic, with Afghanistan, Syria and Libya, all of whom are struggling with ISIS insurgents, at number four, five and 10 respectively.

The group’s report defines Christian persecution “as any hostility experienced as a result of one’s identification with Christ”.

“Eritrean Christians, even though they know there is a very high probability of falling into the hands of traffickers and ruthless radical groups like Islamic State, are still desperate to escape from Eritrea”, the report said. A country had to score 50 per cent more points than in 2013 just to make it on to the list.

Director of Research Dr. Ronald Boyd-MacMillan explains: “It is possible for persecution to be so intense in all areas of life that Christians fear to witness at all, and so you may find very low levels of violence as a result since incidents of persecution often result from acts of witness”.