1 in 7 Christians worldwide face persecution; number of nations involved nearly doubles in 30 years.
By Mark A. Kellner - The Washington Times - Tuesday, July 31, 2023
Persecution of Christians is rising in sub-Saharan Africa, threatening a “vast humanitarian catastrophe” for the continent, a support group for victimized Christians said Tuesday.
Open Doors, a non-denominational mission that aids persecuted Christians worldwide, released Tuesday its 30th annual “World Watch List,” which details anti-Christian attacks around the world.
It said that religiously motivated violence that has been “nurtured” in Nigeria and is increasing in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali and Niger, “has swept across the region.” Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo have seen “signs of jihadist expansion” as well, Open Doors said.
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Overall, the number of Christians under “high” levels of persecution has risen to 360 million, or 1 out of every 7 Christians worldwide, Open Doors said. The number of nations where Christians endure persecution has nearly doubled from 40 in 1993 to 76 today.
“I think even we were shocked by our own numbers,” Lisa Pearce, interim CEO of Open Doors U.S., said in an interview. “Seven out of 10 countries where there is the greatest violence against Christians are in sub-Saharan Africa. Violence can mean killings and a large percentage of those who were killed for their faith in the last year were in Africa, but it can also mean rape, it can mean abduction, it can be the destruction of property.
Image caption, -The attack on the church in south-western Nigeria is one in a series targeting Christians
Image caption,- Women mourning after worshippers died in an attack on a church in 2018 In terms of kidnappings and forced disappearances in Nigeria, the main targets have been political figures and women, according to ACLED data for the period from 2018 up to the end of April 2021.
Image caption, - An attacked victim of religious persecution.
