Unfortunately, in today’s world, faith is more than a personal belief and can really be a reason for danger. On every continent, religious organizations are persecuted for just attempting to preserve their religious customs and duties. It does not even matter what part of the world. Whether they are Christians in the Middle East, Muslims in China and India, or underprivileged minority groups. Here are some examples of people being prosecuted for their faith.
Africa
Amongst all African countries, Nigeria leads as the country with the highest number of Christian murders. It is followed by Ethiopia, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In just two years, from November 2022 to November 2024, Nigeria witnessed 10,000 executions of Christians. Christians are attacked by armed bandits, who might ruin their belongings, kidnap them for ransom, sexually abuse them, and even kill them. The bulk of women and children end up in camps where they face severe health issues, and the Nigerian government offers little protection to these Christians.
India
In the past 2 years, there have been 4,949 attacks on Christian properties, with most of the attacks targeting their homes. In May 2023, unrest happened in Manipur, and ever since then, the situation has gotten worse. Hindu extremists from Meiteis targeted the Christian Kuki community and then proceeded to burn down churches and homes of Church leaders and pastors. Another example of acts of violence in India is the communal violence in Delhi that killed 40 Muslims. In December 2019, the government also passed a law that discriminated against citizens based on their religion and did not grant Muslims the full right to citizenship.
China
Christian persecution statistics show that Chinese authorities have arrested 1,559 Christians in the past 2 years, particularly Christians who belong to unregistered churches. The state sponsors these arrests. In 2022, China forced hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs Muslims to leave their houses and take up state jobs.
North Korea
North Korea once again remains the top persecutor country for Christians. Over there, being a Christian is seen as a political threat and a threat to their ideology. Thus, being a Christian is equivalent to a death sentence. Anyone found engaging in religious activities is either immediately put to death or transported to harsh work camps where it is nearly impossible to survive. The persecution continues, after which people eventually succumb to terrible circumstances. Their relatives are also harassed and arrested by the government. Even gathering for church or owning a Bible is a surefire way to die. A family of five gathering to pray and study the Bible was killed by North Korea back in 2023. However, an estimated 350,000 to 400,000 underground churches still exist despite the danger. North Korea also arrested 208 Christians. The true number of arrests in North Korea is probably much higher as the country is generally cut off, and verifying information is difficult.
Other Smaller Countries
Somalia
In Muslim countries like Somalia and Yemen, which view themselves as completely Islamic nations, it is impossible to practice Christianity. Converts from Muslim households are tormented by their family since Muslim law forbids believers from leaving the faith. Their clans consider this treachery and torture them and occasionally even kill the converts.
Algeria
Christians are unable to live in nations like Algeria and Tunisia because of the rising pressure from the government. The ruling party in Afghanistan is completely indifferent to the Christian communities.
Syria
The Christian community in Syria had to undergo a lot recently. It first suffered from a 10-year-old war and then had to undergo the catastrophe of an earthquake in 2023. Since then, the community has become weaker, forcing them to seek new areas to move to.
Conclusion
Global trends in religious persecution serve as a reminder that, despite everyone’s faith being extremely personal to them, it is often seen as a threat by many. Religious freedom is becoming more and more precarious in a society that says it is more interconnected than ever.
