Report: Christian persecution on the rise in at least 18 countries

According to a new report titled “Persecuted and Forgotten,” the persecution of Christians is increasing in at least 18 countries.

The report was released on Nov. 16 by Catholic group Aid to the Church In Need.

The report investigated possible “human rights violations” in 24 countries where the persecution of Christians is “of particular concern” and the results showed that the conditions in 18 of those countries have gotten “worse” or “slightly worse” for Christians.

“Religious nationalism and authoritarianism intensified problems for the faithful – including the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, which prompted Christians and other minorities to attempt a desperate scramble to escape,” the report said.

The countries in question include Syria, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Mali, Sudan, Nigeria, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, Russia, North Korea, China, Vietnam, India and Qatar.

In Asia, persecution was said to be at its worst in North Korea, where religious belief has largely been outlawed for decades.

The report documented over 700 incidents of anti-Christian violence in India between January 2021 and the start of June 2022.

Open Doors ranks Afghanistan number one on its watch list, noting Islamic oppression as the main reason. The report also cites the rise of the Taliban “driving Christians underground,” where they “live in fear of arrest, torture, and execution.”

According to the report, 5,898 Christians were killed for their religious beliefs in 2021, with over 5,000 churches or Christian buildings being attacked, and 4,765 Christians being “detained without trial, arrested, sentenced, or imprisoned.”